Balloons deflated

Heart balloons flying for a wedding soar until they disappear on the horizon. Shining golden number 18 for coming of age in Chilbi or colorful animal balloons! We all love helium balloons. But toy retailers and chilbi operators are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain helium. Studies show that popular gas is becoming increasingly scarce.

The family-owned Ballon-Express in Zurich-Wiedikon currently does not fill balloons with helium that customers bring with them. “We need helium for our own products and orders,” boss Evelyne Schacher (44) tells Blick. The company has already had to increase prices by about ten percent.

For this reason, Ballon-Express has already expanded its product range with alternatives. For example, the Zurich firm sells mostly parties and souvenirs. “In the worst case, our family business should be shut down,” says Schacher.

“There is little or no helium available,” Stefan Kühne (41), Managing Director of Bonacker Ballonversand, tells Blick. In addition to party supplies, his company specializes in helium balloons and bottles.

“We had to cancel large orders already because we didn’t have enough helium,” Kühne continues. Balloon shipping has already increased the price of helium bottles by about 15 percent.

Franz Carl Weber raises prices

In addition to family businesses, larger chain stores also have to tighten the price screw. Toy seller Franz Carl Weber (FCW), for example, has been selling the so-called Balloon Machine, which you can use to fill 30 balloons with helium at home at a child’s birthday party, for ten percent more since October. Also, at rival Spielkiste, the prices of helium machines for the home rose by a fifth.

Neither toy retailer has yet had to raise the prices of foil balloons, which are inflated on-site at the branch. According to Patrick Lutz (43), boss and owner of Spielkiste Schweiz, that could still happen. “We’ve never seen price fluctuations like this,” he says. “We should review our prices regularly.”

Franz Carl Weber no longer has as many helium bottles in stock as usual. “If multiple bottles are empty together, we may not be able to inflate balloons on a branch for one to two weeks,” FCW boss Roger Bühler (57) explains on a request.

One of the reasons for the bottleneck is the Ukraine war. The Amur gas processing plant in eastern Russia could meet about a third of the world’s helium demand. However, the facility stood motionless due to an explosion before the war broke out. It has not been repaired so far. And even if Russia could produce helium again, it is unlikely to export it to Europe due to sanctions. Algeria, another major exporting country, has also been exporting less helium since the outbreak of war.

Hospitals have priority with helium

Pangas, a supplier of technical and medical gas in Switzerland, has to prioritize its deliveries due to the lack of helium. “We also have 20 to 30 percent less helium,” sales manager Marc Weidmann (43) tells Blick. In the long run, toy retailers and children are lagging behind, as medical products for hospitals take priority over industrial gases like helium.

What else is helium used for?

Helium is an industrial gas used for much more than flying balloons. Among other things, hospitals need helium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRT). There it is used to cool electromagnets. Liquid helium is also used in science for cooling experiments.

Helium is used in many different areas in industry. For example, for quantum computers. With the IBM quantum computer, the superconducting chip needs to be cooled to about -275 degrees Celsius. This is only possible thanks to liquid helium.

Helium has a low boiling point and high thermal and electrical conductivity. It is therefore used in aircraft construction, rocket and space technology, the electronics and nuclear industry, and medicine, among other things.

Helium is an industrial gas used for much more than flying balloons. Among other things, hospitals need helium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRT). There it is used to cool electromagnets. Liquid helium is also used in science for cooling experiments.

Helium is used in many different areas in industry. For example, for quantum computers. With the IBM quantum computer, the superconducting chip needs to be cooled to about -275 degrees Celsius. This is only possible thanks to liquid helium.

Helium has a low boiling point and high thermal and electrical conductivity. It is therefore used in aircraft construction, rocket and space technology, the electronics and nuclear industry, and medicine, among other things.

US consulting firm Kornbluth Helium Consulting assumes the gap will likely last at least six to nine months. For Bonacker Ballonversand, this means no further orders can be accepted.

According to Peter Howald (67), there is no reason to fear that there won’t be funny helium balloons flying over Chilbis anytime soon. He is the president of the Swiss Showmen’s Association. But he knows from his colleagues in Germany that they are raising balloon prices. So far this has not been the case in Switzerland.