Hybrid Air Vehicles secures launch airline for helium-filled Airlander 10 aircraft
Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum has agreed a deal with Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a UK-based leader in sustainable aircraft technologies, for 10 of its helium-filled hybrid aircraft, the Airlander…
Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum has agreed a deal with Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a UK-based leader in sustainable aircraft technologies, for 10 of its helium-filled hybrid aircraft, the Airlander 10.
Air Nostrum’s reservation for the 100-seat Airlander 10 aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery from 2026 onwards, positions the carrier as the launch airline.
South Yorkshire
HAV plans to launch production of the aircraft in South Yorkshire this year, with the fleet set for initial operations across Spain. The deal will create thousands of jobs in green aerospace technologies in the north of England.
Airlander 10 aircraft can spend five days airborne, have a maximum payload of 10 tonnes, have a 4,000 nautical mile range, a ceiling of 20,000 feet, and in its hybrid-electric configuration produces only around one tenth of the emissions associated with conventional jet aircraft.
Spanish domestic routes
The reservation agreement follows six months of studies and modelling carried out by Air Nostrum Group and HAV into the operation of Airlander 10 on Spanish domestic aviation routes.
Carlos Bertomeu, Air Nostrum’s President, said: “We are exploring each and every possible way to reduce our carbon footprint. This is something that we have been doing for many years. 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-carbonisation targets contemplated in the Fit for 55 legislative initiative.”
Rapid growth
Tom Grundy, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, added: “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 Group, 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.”
