Hybrid Air Vehicles achieves first Airlander airship order

Hybrid Air Vehicles has received an order for the first Airlander 10 airships from Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum Líneas Aereas.

The order for ten 100-seat Airlander 10 could see the airships operating on regional routes in Spain as soon as 2026.

Air Nostrum Líneas Aereas is one of Europe’s largest regional airlines. The reservation agreement is Hybrid Air Vehicles’s (HAV) first order from a commercial airline carrier.

HAV plans to start producing Air Nostrum’s fleet in South Yorkshire, UK, this year creating 1,800 new jobs.

According to HAV the two companies have spent six months studying and modeling how the Airlander 10 would be operated on Air Nostrum’s domestic routes and the “associated economics”. This research has shown the hybrid aircraft will produce around one tenth of the harmful emissions of conventional aircraft.

Carlos Bertomeu, Air Nostrum’s President, said, “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. Agreements such as these are a very effective way to reach the de-carbonization targets.”

Tom Grundy, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, said, “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, as the launch Airline for Airlander 10, leads the way towards that future.

“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”