Falcon’s Flight utilises a 600ft cliff in its record-breaking design Credit: Intamin
This year's IAAPA Expo brought huge news from across the industry, with details on Falcon’s Flight - the record-breaking rollercoaster coming to Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia in 2024 - among the headliners.
Manufactured by Intamin, the game changing ride will break the records for the tallest, fastest and longest rollercoaster in the world, with its striking train car unveiled at the event in Orlando, Florida.
Unveiling the train for Falcon's Flight - the world's fastest, tallest, and longest rollercoaster. The ride will open at Six Flags Qiddiya in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is manufactured by Intamin #IAAPAExpopic.twitter.com/nPpoeh6laB
The Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) announced a partnership with Intamin in January 2021 for the development of Falcon’s Flight, which is currently scheduled to welcome its first visitors in October 2024. Dubbed the “rollercoaster evolution of the century”, Falcon’s Flight is utilising the natural landscape of the Qiddya desert to create the ride, which is being built across a 600-foot-tall (183-metre) cliff to reach its record height.
More than 13,000ft (4,000m) of steel track is being used on the ride, which will launch at a speed of around 100mph (160kmph) and with the support of a magnetic launch system featuring linear synchronous motors (LSM) will reach a top speed of 156mph (251kmph). The ride features three launch points, with more than 700 LSM modules with water cooling being used to accelerate the trains.
In terms of record-breaking, Falcon’s Flight is nearly 61m (200ft) taller than the current holder Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. The ride will also be 7mph (11.2kmph) faster than the current fastest coaster in the world - Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Falcon’s Flight is also nearly 1.5 times longer than Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spaland in Japan - the current holder of the world’s longest rollercoaster.
To increase throughput, Falcon’s Flight can operate up to six trains simultaneously, with each train allowing four 14 riders at a time for the three-minute experience.
In order to accommodate the coaster’s forces and desert climate, the ride train itself is unique, with the falcon-shaped lead car sporting a curved windshield and dimensions appropriate for a ride that reaches such velocities. Additionally, all of the trains are equipped with extra-large running wheels and custom designed rims for enhanced cooling.
While the front car features seating for two passengers, the remaining ones behind it will seat four per row and will feature an open design to enhance the sense of flying over the cliff’s edge and speeding around the entire park.
At night, the train will light up, including the lead car’s distinctive falcon eyes, with each train featuring 35 light modules that can be controlled individually.
Six Flags Qiddiya will cover 320,000sq m (3.4 million sq ft) and will feature upon opening 28 rides and attractions across six themed lands - Falcon’s Flight among them.
Qiddiya is a new district on the outskirts of the Saudi capital of Riyadh, which covers 141sq mi (367sq km) and is made up of five key areas. First is the resort core, which is home to Qiddiya’s theme parks, entertainment and dining attractions, including Six Flags and a mammoth US$750m (€686m, £598m) waterpark development.
Next is the Qiddiya Village - a 24/7 mixed-use centre dedicated to entertainment and sports. Third is the motion zone, which features motorsports experiences. Fourth is the eco zone with nature and wildlife encounters. Finally comes the golf and residential community - a residential community featuring world-class golf courses.
With Qiddya among its major investments, Saudi Arabia has revealed that it plans to invest a further US$800bn (€737.3bn, £630.4bn) in tourism projects over the next decade, with developments worth more than US$1tn (€921.7bn, £787.7bn) already underway.
Falcon’s Flight utilises a 600ft cliff in its record-breaking design Credit: Intamin
This year's IAAPA Expo brought huge news from across the industry, with details on Falcon’s Flight - the record-breaking rollercoaster coming to Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia in 2024 - among the headliners.
Manufactured by Intamin, the game changing ride will break the records for the tallest, fastest and longest rollercoaster in the world, with its striking train car unveiled at the event in Orlando, Florida.
Unveiling the train for Falcon's Flight - the world's fastest, tallest, and longest rollercoaster. The ride will open at Six Flags Qiddiya in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is manufactured by Intamin #IAAPAExpopic.twitter.com/nPpoeh6laB
The Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) announced a partnership with Intamin in January 2021 for the development of Falcon’s Flight, which is currently scheduled to welcome its first visitors in October 2024. Dubbed the “rollercoaster evolution of the century”, Falcon’s Flight is utilising the natural landscape of the Qiddya desert to create the ride, which is being built across a 600-foot-tall (183-metre) cliff to reach its record height.
More than 13,000ft (4,000m) of steel track is being used on the ride, which will launch at a speed of around 100mph (160kmph) and with the support of a magnetic launch system featuring linear synchronous motors (LSM) will reach a top speed of 156mph (251kmph). The ride features three launch points, with more than 700 LSM modules with water cooling being used to accelerate the trains.
In terms of record-breaking, Falcon’s Flight is nearly 61m (200ft) taller than the current holder Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. The ride will also be 7mph (11.2kmph) faster than the current fastest coaster in the world - Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Falcon’s Flight is also nearly 1.5 times longer than Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spaland in Japan - the current holder of the world’s longest rollercoaster.
To increase throughput, Falcon’s Flight can operate up to six trains simultaneously, with each train allowing four 14 riders at a time for the three-minute experience.
In order to accommodate the coaster’s forces and desert climate, the ride train itself is unique, with the falcon-shaped lead car sporting a curved windshield and dimensions appropriate for a ride that reaches such velocities. Additionally, all of the trains are equipped with extra-large running wheels and custom designed rims for enhanced cooling.
While the front car features seating for two passengers, the remaining ones behind it will seat four per row and will feature an open design to enhance the sense of flying over the cliff’s edge and speeding around the entire park.
At night, the train will light up, including the lead car’s distinctive falcon eyes, with each train featuring 35 light modules that can be controlled individually.
Six Flags Qiddiya will cover 320,000sq m (3.4 million sq ft) and will feature upon opening 28 rides and attractions across six themed lands - Falcon’s Flight among them.
Qiddiya is a new district on the outskirts of the Saudi capital of Riyadh, which covers 141sq mi (367sq km) and is made up of five key areas. First is the resort core, which is home to Qiddiya’s theme parks, entertainment and dining attractions, including Six Flags and a mammoth US$750m (€686m, £598m) waterpark development.
Next is the Qiddiya Village - a 24/7 mixed-use centre dedicated to entertainment and sports. Third is the motion zone, which features motorsports experiences. Fourth is the eco zone with nature and wildlife encounters. Finally comes the golf and residential community - a residential community featuring world-class golf courses.
With Qiddya among its major investments, Saudi Arabia has revealed that it plans to invest a further US$800bn (€737.3bn, £630.4bn) in tourism projects over the next decade, with developments worth more than US$1tn (€921.7bn, £787.7bn) already underway.
