‘Hybrid Air Vehicles brings the future of sustainable aviation into the market’
The partnership between Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) and Air Nostrum Group to fly the pioneering hybrid aircraft Airlander 10 on regional routes in Spain brings the “future of sustainable aviation…
The partnership between Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) and Air Nostrum Group to fly the pioneering hybrid aircraft Airlander 10 on regional routes in Spain brings the “future of sustainable aviation into the market”, HAV’s CEO Tom Grundy said.
“In 2026, [Air Nostrum is] going to have a 100 seat Airlander aircraft flying in the domestic Spanish network, emitting only 10 per cent emissions of other aircraft,” he said at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.
“And more than that, by the time we get to the end of the decade, we will be at actual zero emissions with this platform.”
Six months of rigorous studies
The reservation agreement follows six months of rigorous studies and modelling carried out by Air Nostrum Group and HAV into the operation of Airlander 10 on Spanish domestic aviation routes and the associated economics.
Airlander 10 aircraft are expected to diversify and complement Air Nostrum Group’s existing aircraft fleet currently operating on these routes, carrying 100 passengers while producing less of the harmful emissions.
‘Completely different journey experience’
Commenting on the new service, Grundy said: “Airlander is designed to sit in between the services that we’re used to getting on faster aircraft, and between the services that we get on trains, road or rail.
“So it’s at an intermediate speed point. It’s a completely different journey experience and it’s a more direct connection.
“What Airlander does is provide us a new transport category, it opens up new links, new abilities to provide resilience and serve new markets.”
‘Obligations to the planet’
Also at the airshow was Miguel Ángel Falcón, managing director of Air Nostrum.
He said: “We are very motivated to embrace any novelty in terms of reducing the CO2 emissions. We’re really committed to take that as one of our obligations to the planet and to the environment.
“When the Airlander was coming into place and announced that 90 per cent of the CO2 emissions could be reduced on a typical regional route, we were really motivated. And we’re happy that we’ve managed to conclude this transaction.”
Subscribe to the FINN weekly newsletter
