The world's tallest moving observation tower, currently being built on Brighton seafront, was today named British Airways i360. The airline has signed a five-year deal, which includes full naming rights, with the developers of the Brighton beach attraction which has been conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects. Standing at 162 meters high, the i360 will be the world's first vertical cable car and the world's most slender tower.
Customers flying in to Gatwick airport will be able to see the spectacular attraction from the air.
Guests will be able to board the 18 meter wide glass viewing pod at ground level and take a flight 138 meters high where they can enjoy 360 degree panoramic views of Brighton and the Sussex coastline.
Lynne Embleton, British Airways' director of strategy and managing director for Gatwick, said: “Our pilots enjoy spectacular views of the Sussex coastline as they fly in and out of Gatwick and now Brighton visitors and residents will also be able to from this fantastic new landmark.
We fly to 67 destinations across the globe from Gatwick, and employ more than 2,500 staff in Sussex, so putting our name to the i360 and helping to promote even more tourism to the area made perfect sense."
Eleanor Harris, chief executive of the British Airways i360, said: “We are delighted to have such a prestigious British and global brand sponsoring our ground breaking attraction. British Airways and the i360 share a similar market regionally in the South East and a comparable international reach. We also share a proud history of engineering and design excellence.”
Brighton is the most visited destination in the South East outside London, attracting 11 million visitors and more than one million international holiday-makers every year.
The tower will also include a sky bar and 400-cover brasserie serving food from “Sussex's larder” with signature dishes from MasterChef: The Professionals Winner Steven Edwards.
The beach building will also include hospitality rooms for 10 to 1,000 people, an exhibition, a gift shop and an indoor kids play zone.
A flight on British Airways i360 will take 20 minutes (30 minutes in the evening) and cost £15 for adults, £7.50 for four to 16 year olds and free for infants.
