Aircraft

Air Nostrum signs up as Airlander 10 launch airline

View 5 Images
The Air Nostrum Group has reserved 10 Airlander 10 airships, with delivery expected to happen in 2026
Hybrid Air Vehicles
The Air Nostrum Group has reserved 10 Airlander 10 airships, with delivery expected to happen in 2026
Hybrid Air Vehicles
The Air Nostrum Airlander 10 airships will each carry up to 100 passengers on existing Spanish domestic aviation routes
Hybrid Air Vehicles
Render of the 100-seat Airlander cabin
Hybrid Air Vehicles
Render of the 100-seat Airlander cabin
Hybrid Air Vehicles
The Airlander 10 production airship will be some five percent longer than the 92-meter prototype shown
Hybrid Air Vehicles
View gallery - 5 images

The last time we checked in with the UK's Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company had just confirmed that its Airlander 10 airship would fly with both diesel engines and electric motors. With production planned to start this year, a new agreement with the Air Nostrum Group has been inked for the supply of a small fleet of 100-seat airships to fly on Spanish routes.

The bi-hulled, helium-filled airship is rated to carry a total payload of 10 tonnes and in mobility configuration can be had with a 72-person cabin or one that seats 100.

The Airlander 10 pre-production prototype currently cruises using four combustion engines burning jet fuel, but by 2025 Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) is planning to run a hybrid-electric configuration that would give a range of 750 km (466 miles) – or 350 km (217 miles) in electric only – while reducing emissions by some 90 percent compared to "other aircraft in mobility and logistics applications."

The company also has zero emissions flight in its sights and is planning to go all-electric by 2030, when it's expected that the Airlander 10 will become "the world's fist large-scale aircraft to achieve zero-emissions flight."

The Air Nostrum Airlander 10 airships will each carry up to 100 passengers on existing Spanish domestic aviation routes
Hybrid Air Vehicles

Following six months of in-house research into the viability of adding the Airlander 10 to its existing aircraft fleet on Spanish domestic aviation routes, the Air Nostrum Group has now entered into a reservation agreement for 10 of the 100-seat versions of the Airlander 10 aircraft for delivery in 2026.

"We are exploring each and every possible way to reduce our carbon footprint," said Air Nostrum's president, Carlos Bertomeu. "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."

Production of Airlander 10 airships is expected to start later this year at a new facility within a green aerospace manufacturing cluster in the South Yorkshire area of the UK.

Source: HAV

View gallery - 5 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
9 comments
paul314
That view looks incredible. I hope the numbers work out.
David F
Leaving aside its eco credentials, the fabulous view will be why many people choose to fly in one.
spyinthesky
Great news I had rather expected this vehicle to fade into obscurity as so many have before it but though a long way from serious success if this operation proves itself and sustainability then the true potential of this and other airships may finally start to be realised, certainly in certain fields of operation be it civil, Governmental like fisheries and surveying perhaps and military which inspired it in the first place.
Unsold
About time. 2030 is just around the corner. Let's hope the partners involved all hold hands to the delivery date.
ClauS
It seems that people keeps forgetting that Helium is a non-renewable resource, and quite scarce for that matter. Once it escapes it floats to the top of the atmosphere and it's gone. I love airships but fill them with hydrogen and use them for cargo shipping using autopilot to reduce the eventual danger for the crew. For passenger transport is too cumbersome and slow, and if you're looking for efficiency help Otto Aviation to bring faster Celera 1000L to fruition. It might have a smaller capacity but being way faster it might result in the same number of passengers. And I know, probably a lot (most ?) of He is lost in party balloons, and they should ban it, but from my point of view I know I want to have some He stashed aside for when an MRI machine needs it.
Ralf Biernacki
The very fact that this is an airship already cuts probably 80-90% of emissions, because it doesn't need to burn fuel just to generate lift, and because it cruises much slower, which reduces drag as well. So most of the fuel consumption and carbon footprint has already been eliminated as compared to a conventional airplane. Running on hybrid will just be a cherry on top.
mark34
It would be interesting to see the fuel per (desired) passenger mile specs...a strong wind in anything other than a tailwind on such a high drag airship would really have a effect on fuel burn. Also, the cost to replenish and filter the helium (it leaks out of most vessels and becomes contaminated with air that causes havoc with buoyancy distribution) is a big consideration.
Bob B
I wonder if they could cover the top of that with lightweight solar panels that would generate enough electricity to provide enough power to boost the range or speed?
Aermaco
All buoyant large mass aircraft suffer in high winds thus navigation issues hurt commercial 24/7 use. Hydrogen is clearly the best option over helium as it will be created in many places eventually from solar energy sources including waves and ocean current power while just as important it can power the ship with fuel cells as well.