80-MPH Airships Could Be The Future Of Sustainable Luxury Air Travel

When people think of airships, they either picture the Goodyear blimp circling the skies of major sports events or the Hindenburg going up in flames. Multiple start-ups are looking to up the notion that dirigibles are an archaic form of transportation. The enterprises claim that rigid airships will herald an era of sustainable luxury air travel despite only having a top speed of 80 miles per hour.

British start-up Hybrid Air Vehicles is the furthest along of the airship revivalists. Spanish airlines Air Nostrum inked a deal for 20 HAV Airlander 10 airships, and the 100-seater helium-filled vehicle is set for a 2028 debut. At launch, the Airlander 10 will be equipped with four kerosene engines. HAV wants to replace the propulsion system with electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells two years after launch. HAV spoke with the BBC:

“We say that the Airlander connects the unconnected,” said Hannah Cunningham, head of marketing at HAV. The Airlander 10 is their first production aircraft, a helium-filled, curvaceously shaped vehicle that wouldn’t look out of place in a comic book. It has some distinct use cases: one of them is connecting remote islands where it isn’t economical to build airports.

“You don’t need masses of infrastructure like an airport or train line with an aircraft like this – all you need is a flat surface for landing,” she said. “It opens up lots of opportunities to connect places that aren’t currently connected, for example communities in places like the Highlands and Islands in Scotland.”

Air Nostrum wants to do just that and use the Airlander 10 to link Spanish islands, like Ibiza, with the mainland. The only big trade-off is speed. The Airlander 10’s top speed is 80 mph. The regional carrier’s largest plane is the 100-seater Bombardier CRJ-1000, which has a cruising speed of 515 mph.

HAV that there are perks for passengers that outweigh the longer travel times. The cabins are far more spacious and comfortable than a traditional airliner. First, the windows are much larger and can open. Yes, they can open. The airships fly at a low enough altitude that the cabin doesn’t have to be pressurized.

While I wouldn’t trade riding in a cramped metal tube for a helium blimp just yet, the return of airship could transform travel to scenic areas disconnected from highways or railroads. If the only other alternative is a noisy turboprop plane, I’d seriously consider adding an hour or two for a much more luxurious ride on an airship.