Overview
As the quest for sustainable aviation continues, many aviation companies are planning to go green. And one company, Hybrid Air Vehicles, is helping them achieve that goal by manufacturing airships with zero carbon emissions and footprint.
The science and other stuff to know
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a U.K.-based leader in sustainable aircraft technologies, has developed a hybrid airship, Airlander 10, which reportedly has less effect on the environment. According to the company, its hybrid aircraft is the world’s first large-scale aircraft to achieve a 90 percent reduction in carbon emissions. It’s also the largest of the world’s most energy-efficient aircraft, able to carry 100 passengers or 10 tonnes.
With its 4,000-mile nautical range and capacity to operate at 20,000 feet, the Airlander 10 is a sustainable aviation solution for short-haul, domestic routes. The hybrid aircraft is powered by four combustion engines. By 2030, HAV hopes to go fully electric, enabling a completely zero-emissions aircraft.
Just recently, HAV received its first order of 10 hybrid Airlander 10 from Spain’s airline, Air Nostrum, with delivery scheduled for 2026. The manufacturing of the aircraft is already in the works.
So what?
Air Nostrum President Carlos Bertomeu said hybrid airships will help his company toward the European Union’s “Fit for 55” goals of cutting emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030.
“The Airlander 10 will drastically reduce emissions,” he said in a statement. “For that reason, we have made this agreement with HAV. Sustainability… is already a non-negotiable fact in the daily operations of commercial aviation.”
Speaking of how Airlander 10 provides sustainability in the aviation industry, Tom Grundy, Hybrid Air Vehicles CEO added: “Airlander is designed to deliver a better future for sustainable aviation services. [It] enables new transport networks and provides rapid growth options for our customers.”
The HAV is also designing Airlander 50, which is more a versatile and efficient freight delivery solution.
What next?
Aircraft have been slower to become electrified than cars. One of the reasons is that the technology for producing the powerful batteries required to launch planes is not as advanced. But with HAV aiming to launch a fully electric airship by 2030, electric planes might arrive sooner than you think.
