Once considered the only way to fly before falling into obsolescence, airships are set to make a return to the skies over Spain following the news that Air Nostrum has ordered a fleet of ten from UK-based sustainable aircraft tech company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV).
Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles
Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles
The deal saw Air Nostrum reserve ten 100-seat Airlander 10 airships, to be delivered from 2026 onwards.
The 44-metre wide, 26-metre high airship has a range of 750 km (466 miles) and the company says it can deliver up to 75% reduction in emissions over comparable aircraft.
Originally developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft, the programme was scrapped following defence funding cuts, leading HAV to redesign the craft for civilian purposes.
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While the Air Nostrum Airlander 10 fleet is set for initial operations across Spain, HAV plans to launch production of the aircraft in South Yorkshire, UK, this year. The company says thousands of skilled jobs in green aerospace technologies will be created.
The agreement was signed following six months of studies and modelling into the impact the airships would have on domestic aviation in Spain.
Air Nostrum said it expects the Airlander 10s to diversify and complement its standing fleet of aircraft already operating on these routes. HAV claims that the hybrid aircraft will produce around 10% of the emissions of an aeroplane.
"We are exploring each and every possible way to reduce our carbon footprint. This is something that we have been doing for many years. The Airlander 10 will drastically reduce emissions and for that reason, we have made this agreement with HAV", said Air Nostrum President Carlos Bertomeu.
"Sustainability, which is good news for everyone, is already a non-negotiable fact in the daily operations of commercial aviation. Agreements such as these are a very effective way to reach the decarbonisation targets contemplated in the Fit for 55 legislative initiative."
HAV is currently holding "advanced discussions" with stakeholders both locally and nationally regarding plans to manufacture the Airlander 10 in a new green aerospace manufacturing cluster in South Yorkshire.
The company also said that it is developing electric motors to provide emissions reductions of 90%, and it ultimately expects the Airlander 10 to be the first large-scale aircraft in the world to achieve a zero-emissions flight by 2030.
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"Airlander is designed to deliver a better future for sustainable aviation services, enable new transport networks and provide rapid growth options for our customers. Our partnership with Air Nostrum Group, as the launch airline for Airlander 10, leads the way towards that future", said Hybrid Air Vehicles CEO Tom Grundy.
"As countries like France, Denmark, Norway, Spain and the UK begin to put in place ambitious mandates for the decarbonisation of domestic and short-haul flight, Hybrid Air Vehicles and Air Nostrum Group are demonstrating how we can get there – and get there soon".
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