Aviation International News reports that the Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum prepares to “launch airship services with plans to acquire 10 of the 100-seat Airlander 10 aircraft being developed by Hybrid Air Vehicles in a deal that could be worth $600 million.” In the last six months, “Air Nostrum and HAV have conducted studies and modeling exercises to assess how best to operate the airship on domestic routes.” Air Nostrum President Carlos Bertomeu said, “We are exploring each and every possible way to reduce our carbon footprint. The Airlander 10 will drastically reduce emissions and for that reason, we have made this agreement with HAV. Sustainability, which is good news for everyone, is already a non-negotiable fact in the daily operations of commercial aviation.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: Airlander 10
Hybrid Air Vehicles Releases Details of Airlander 10
CNN reports that on Wednesday, UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) “released the latest details of its airship, which boasts a far smaller carbon footprint than a conventional passenger plane.” The Airlander 10 aircraft “will seat up to 100 passengers and operate with 90% fewer emissions than conventional aircraft, the company said in a press release.” The airship “requires less fuel than a conventional aircraft due to a combination of ‘buoyant lift from helium, aerodynamic lift, and vectored thrust,’ according to HAV.” The airship “boasts an unpressurized cabin, and is built to withstand high and low temperatures, strong winds and even lightning strikes, to the same regulatory standards as other passenger aircraft, says HAV.” The Airlander 10 “won’t compete with long-haul flights or routes already well-served by high-speed rail connections, said” HAV CEO Tom Grundy. The company will instead use the aircraft on trips between “cities a few hundred miles apart.”
Full Story (CNN)