Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a UK-based company trying to bring back airship travel back as a more sustainable alternative to plane flying, has announced it will be opening a production facility in Doncaster.
The City of Doncaster Council and HAV have agreed to locate the production programme for Airlander 10 at Carcroft Common, a 50-hectare site identified by the City of Doncaster Council for development to unlock new economic growth. Hybrid Air Vehicles still has to apply for a planning permit.
“Doncaster already has strong clusters across various sectors such as rail, advanced manufacturing and engineering and I am delighted to soon be able to add this exciting new sector to our industries, to be based at the Carcroft Common Employment site”, said Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones. “The City of Doncaster is at the forefront of embracing new technology to drive growth and this proposed Hybrid Air Vehicles site is not only part of our ambitious growth strategy but also our pioneering climate change ambitions, focussing on new green advanced manufacturing and sustainable industrial innovation.”
Subject to planning approval, HAV will develop new flagship facilities for Airlander 10’s production, testing and certification operations, capable of producing up to 24 aircraft per year at the site. It will house cutting-edge aerospace production equipment, such as new assembly lines for Airlander’s composite-based airframe, propulsion systems and electrical and avionics systems.
Airlander 10, which the company describes as “the world’s most efficient large aircraft”, is a type of ultra-low emissions aircraft capable of carrying 100 passengers or 10 tonnes of payload. While taking about the same time to complete a journey, HAV estimates that the carbon footprint per passenger on its airship would be about 4.5 kg compared to about 53 kg on a commercial plane.
Airlander 10 will transform what’s possible for sustainable air travel.
Tom Grundy, Hybrid Air Vehicles CEO
“Our vision to rethink clean flight has been met with robust support at every step of the way by City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire region”, HAV CEO, Tom Grundy, commented on the partnership with Doncaster. “We look forward to working closely with the community as we launch our production programme and progress this extraordinary project.”
In 2021, the company was planning to already operate several routes by 2025, however, it is now aiming at having the Airlander in the skies in 2028. Despite the delay and a test flight ending with a crash in 2016, the reserved orderbook for airship stands in excess of £1 billion (€1.17 billion), according to HAV, with the first aircraft set to enter service from 2028 with the likes of Air Nostrum Group, the launch airline customer.
