Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the company behind the Airlander 10, is scaling up to build the world's largest aircraft. The 98-metre airship, which combines features of a plane and a blimp, can carry up to 130 passengers or 10 tonnes of cargo at speeds of up to 90mph. The firm claims the Airlander will produce 90% fewer emissions than conventional aircraft, with the potential to reach zero emissions by switching to hydrogen fuel cells.
HAV plans to build 24 Airlanders per year from 2030 at a new factory in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The aircraft requires only a flat space 200 metres across and a mooring mast, eliminating the need for long runways. Tom Grundy, HAV's chief executive, says the Airlander offers a middle option between fast but polluting planes and slower, cheaper ferries, with operating costs comparable to regional airlines.
The prototype first flew in 2016 near Bedford, astonishing crowds before being retired in 2019 after gathering sufficient flight data. HAV is now seeking £300m in equity funding, with initial investment expected by summer 2025, partly from the government's national wealth fund. The company has notional orders worth £1.5bn, including 20 aircraft from Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum for Mediterranean island routes, and interest from luxury tour operator Grands Espaces for Arctic flights.
HAV faces competition from France's Flying Whales and US-based Lighter than Air Research, but Grundy, a former BAE Systems and Airbus engineer, is confident. The company has spent £140m since 2007 but had only £400,000 cash on hand at the end of 2023. However, Grundy believes the new funding will make the company cashflow positive, as it aims to decarbonise one of the hardest sectors to clean up.
