Airlander targets tourist transport

Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. (Shortstown, Bedford, UK), manufacturer of the Airlander 10 lighter-than-air transport, reports that it has signed two agreements to make a tourism version of its low-carbon aircraft. Henry Cookson Adventures will be the first to trial an expeditionary journey in 2018 as a precursor to Airlander’s use in the luxury travel and adventure sector. Henry Cookson Adventures is a British luxury travel firm.

As part of a British Government Innovate UK investment in engineering design, HAV and aircraft interiors designers Design Q have been awarded a UK Government grant to design an interior for the tourism variant of the Airlander.

Furthermore, Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. has named Design Q as its preferred supplier for design and manufacture of the luxury cabin interiors created as a result of the project. This has been awarded to Design Q due to its experience developing luxury aircraft interiors.

“I have flown Airlander a number of times now, and am really excited about the possibility of taking the first passengers on board. I can imagine the awe and excitement of seeing the world in luxury, with amazing views, quietly and whilst respecting the environment,” says Dave Burns, Airlander Chief Test Pilot.

In 2018, Henry Cookson Adventures (HCA) will become the first private excursion company to trial Airlander 10. HCA has a string of world firsts and pioneering feats already set by the company and founder, Henry Cookson. From ski races to the Magnetic North Pole to taking private submersibles to the Antarctic, Henry’s team of experts have been pushing the boundaries of high-end travel for more than a decade.

Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. and Design Q have been awarded a £60,000 Design Foundations Round 2 grant by the UK’s Innovation Agency, Innovate UK. This funding is going to be used in the Airlander Luxury Tourism Design Development Project.

“We are excited with the prospect of working on such a unique project, not only is it the largest flying aircraft in the world but it demands an interior that truly breaks new ground and provides an experience that will be unlike anything seen before. This will be something that passengers will treasure all their lives,” says Howard Guy, CEO and co-founder of Design Q

Hybrid Air Vehicles says the Airlander 10’s ability to stay aloft for days at a time, in virtual silence, with floor-to-ceiling windows and fresh air, make the craft ideal for cruising in exceptional locations.

On completion of the trial flight in 2018, HCA ultimately plans to take the type-certified Airlander 10 to a range of destinations at client request, experiencing landscapes that vary as diversely as the North Pole, Bolivian Salt Pans and Namib Desert. By collaborating with leading scientists, explorers and conservationists, HCA is able to deliver often inaccessible experiences to clients.