Air Nostrum’s Airlander Airship Fleet Plans: A Look Inside

Air Nostrum, a regional airline in Spain, plans to launch the Airlander 10 airship and utilize it on regional tourist routes throughout the country.

It looks that airlines will soon include airships in their fleets alongside traditional passenger aircraft.Simple Flying anticipates using the Airlander 10 for luxury air trips over the Arctic region.

The Zeppelins of the early twentieth century are undoubtedly the most famous airships, and they are possibly best remembered for the numerous mishaps they had (including the Hindenburg disaster).Airships are gaining popularity as a mode of transportation for both cargo and tourist.

The Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10 airship

The Airlander 10 is a helium airship that was originally built to suit the US Army’s Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) mission.

However, after that was terminated, Hybrid Air Vehicles purchased the aircraft and opted to continue developing it as a civilian air vehicle, primarily for luxury tourist flights. In 2022, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) revealed that Air Nostrum Group reserved ten Airlander aircraft to be delivered in 2026.

“By enhancing both passenger and freight connectivity, Airlander complements existing transport networks, ensuring the region’s growth is both sustainable and well-connected.” – HAV

Hybrid Air Vehicle’s new 50-hectare facility at Carcroft Common in Doncaster was revealed in collaboration with the City of Doncaster Council earlier in 2024. The location will feature flagship facilities for the airship’s production, testing, and certification operations. It will be able to produce up to 24 airships each year.

Hybrid Air Vehicles designed the Airlander airship (nicknamed the Flying Bum) at Cardington Airfield in England, and they are constructed in South Yorkshire. It made its first test flight in 2016.

In its standard configuration, the Airlander 10 can reduce carbon emissions by up to 75% compared to similar aircraft. HAV intends to replace two engines with electric motors beginning in 2028, resulting in a hybrid-electric version of the airship.

This will lower emissions by around 90% compared to other airplanes. By 2030, HAV intends to offer an all-electric model with zero emissions.

“With the capacity to land and take off vertically from grass fields and water, HAV markets the Airlander 10 as suited for a range of applications, including cargo, surveillance, regional transit, and VIP travel. The first three production spots are allocated for undisclosed luxury tourism firms. – Flight Global

As of late 2024, HAV is still in the pre-production phase of Airlander 10 development (meaning that no orders have been entirely finalized).

Despite this, HAV exceeded £1.4 billion ($1.75 billion) in reservations for Airlander 10 in 2024. While some firms (such as Boom) strive to make air travel supersonic, others aim to slow it down.

While the Airlander’s lift is mostly attributable to its lifting helium gases, aerodynamics caused by the passage of air over the airship’s hull can account for up to 40% of its lift. JetZero is designing a blended wing body demonstrator with significant lift from the belly and fuselage.

Air Nostrum will commence airship flights in 2026.

Air Nostrum is slated to be the first customer for the new Airlander 10 airship. In January 2025, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that the program was still on track.

It is stated that Air Nostrum intends to begin a new fleet of Airlander 10s flying to Mallorca in 2026.Air Nostrum has further quadrupled its order of Airlander 10s, which will be used for short-haul flights from Spain’s Mediterranean Balearic Islands and other parts of Spain.

In 2023, HAV reported that Air Nostrum quadrupled its order to expand the Airlander network from Spain to the Mediterranean region, including Malta. According to the report, “discussions included the advantages of Airlander’s potential land and water-based operations for routes including Malta-Gozo, Malta-Sicily, and other key links with Italy, Tunisia, and Libya.”

The Airlander 10 is intended to reduce emissions for flights by up to 90% on Air Nostrum’s planned regional routes in Spain. They can carry 100 passengers, ten tons of freight, or a combination of the two.

The Air Nostrum Group is made up of various firms involved in air transportation and mobility. It operates aircraft, high-speed railways, and firefighting businesses. Air Nostrum flies about 70,000 flights per year, carrying over 4.7 million passengers. Its aircraft include the CRJ1000, CJR900, CRJ200, and ATR 72-600.

Luxury Tourist Flights

The Airlander 10 is envisioned as a luxurious airship. HAV hired Design Q to assist with the aircraft’s design. Design Q worked with Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited to help them ‘Rethink the Skies’.

Approaching air travel from a whole fresh perspective allowed our team to create the groundbreaking Airlander 10 passenger cabin. This extraordinary product pioneers a new era of luxury expeditionary tourism, offering customers a one-of-a-kind air travel experience that is unparalleled.”

The airship was constructed with floor-to-ceiling windows, an unpressurized cabin, and minimal noise and vibration. It combines the benefits of a cruise in the skies with a hot air balloon trip and picturesque flying. Aside from Spain, they can also be used in the Arctic, the Scottish Highlands, and the Scottish Islands.

Airships provide another tourist sightseeing and air-cruise alternative in Scotland’s mountainous terrain, with the potential to increase regional connectivity as well. A network of airships could provide another means for people to travel across the region.

Notably, airships do not require significant infrastructure (such as runways) to function. They can land on any generally level surface (even water). This opens up numerous new opportunities.

The Rebirth of the Airship Era

The airship industry is going through a Renaissance. Multiple airships are being developed around the world, mainly for cargo transportation (they can transport large cargoes, such as wind turbine blades, to practically any green field).

Men have been flying with balloons since 1783, and with airships or powered balloons since Henri Giffard’s voyage in 1852.

However, as airships matured in the 1920s and 1930s, heavier-than-air airplanes took their place. Still, airships have certain benefits over airplanes and will soon be flying in huge numbers again.

One airship, the H2 Clipper, is now being designed in the United States to transport hydrogen as a type of aerial hydrogen pipeline.

Hydrogen is regarded as the green fuel of the future, but transporting the bulky fuel is one of the most significant engineering difficulties ahead. Airships are regarded as a potential (or partial) solution to the dilemma.

In 2023, LTA Research revealed the Pathfinder 1, the world’s largest modern electric airship. The aircraft is a proof-of-concept airship created in California’s Silicon Valley, with Google’s Sergey Brin providing some funding. The huge airplane is 124.5 meters (408 feet) long.

The Airlander 10 is only the beginning of what Hybrid Air Vehicles has planned. HAV is currently developing the Airlander 50, which will have a payload capability of 50 tonnes (against the current 10 tonnes).

Air Nostrum has also joined HAV’s Airlander 50 Development Partner Program, becoming the project’s first commercial airline partner. The Airlander 50 is envisioned to “address the future of freight, moving cargo or people point-to-point with minimal infrastructure and a low environmental impact.”

Finally, it is too early to predict if airships will revolutionize short-haul travel or tourism. However, Air Nostrum may soon be flying them across the Western Mediterranean, introducing a new kind of environmentally friendly transportation to the region.

Perhaps airships’ greatest potential is to carry large loads that are difficult to transport on roads and trains. They may also play a critical role in carrying hydrogen around the world.

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