Michelin and Voliris partner to develop hydrogen-compatible autonomous cargo airship
October 9, 2025
The French aerospace company Voliris and Michelin Inflatable Solutions have partnered to develop NATAC (the Navette Aérienne de Transport Automatique de Containers)—an autonomous, hydrogen-compatible air shuttle, designed to transport heavy freight with zero CO2 emissions.
Michelin will contribute its expertise in polymer composites and flexible materials to advance Voliris’s development of a sustainable, infrastructure-light aircraft that could transform global logistics.
NATAC: an aircraft and airship hybrid
NATAC combines elements of an airship and a cargo plane. As the aircraft is heavier than air, it can unload freight without ballast, making it more practical for commercial operations. The NATAC’s flying-wing structure enables it to take off and land in regions with limited infrastructure.
The aircraft will eventually be powered by hydrogen, serving both as fuel and lift gas, allowing for zero carbon emissions during operations. With NATAC’s autonomous control system, it will be able to carry out long-distance, uncrewed flights in remote or disaster-affected areas.
Michelin’s role in the NATAC project
The Michelin Group’s Michelin Inflatable Solutions subsidiary will provide advanced materials expertise to help develop the NATAC’s wing envelope, an inflatable structure that’s integral to the aircraft’s design. The envelope, comprising five lobes that total 25,000 cubic meters, must withstand significant mechanical and aerodynamic stresses in operations.
Pulleys adjust the structure’s internal volume and aerodynamic profile at different altitudes. During operation, it must maintain internal pressure over an 8,000-square-meter surface, support external loads from cargo cables weighing up to 30 tons, and remain impermeable to helium and hydrogen.
To confirm the NATAC wing’s functionality, Voliris and Michelin plan to build a full-scale demonstrator of the wing by 2028. The milestone follows successful flight tests of a prototype at 1/7 scale.
NATAC wing: a portable cargo solution
Voliris aims to provide transportation solutions that do not require extensive ground infrastructure, thereby reducing the environmental impact of land development.
NATAC is designed to be portable—shipped in ten standard 40-foot containers. The entire system can be assembled directly on site, which would support rapid cargo deployment in emergencies. The engineers at Michelin are developing new industrial assembly processes and evaluating materials to ensure the envelope can be folded and deployed repeatedly without losing strength or integrity.
Air freight for a decarbonised future
The NATAC project aims to address the growing need for decarbonised shipping solutions. With lightweight composite technology, hydrogen propulsion, and autonomous systems, Voliris and Michelin intend to create an aircraft that can carry large payloads without emitting greenhouse gases.
Voliris, a subsidiary of the NYFI industrial group, has been developing hybrid aircraft concepts since 2003. Through NATAC, the company seeks to “reinvent infrastructure-efficient logistics” for oversized and containerised cargo, while contributing to aviation’s broader decarbonisation efforts.
NATAC would represent a new class of heavy-lift aircraft that combines the efficiency of airships, the performance of aircraft, and autonomous operation, advancing sustainable air freight.
