Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) and Air Nostrum Group have agreed to double the number of Airlander 10 in reserve, up to a total of 20 aircraft.
Under the initial agreement, announced in June 2022, Air Nostrum Group had reserved 10 Airlander 10 aircraft, with a 100-passenger configuration. Under the new agreement, Air Nostrum Group has reserved a further 10 Airlander aircraft to support the expansion of the Airlander network from Spain to the Mediterranean region, including Malta.
With the first Airlander 10 services expected in five years, managers at Mel Air (part of the Air Nostrum Group) and Hybrid Air Vehicles recently presented Transport Malta with other possible route networks for Airlander aircraft. The advantages of Airlander’s land and water operations on routes such as Malta-Gozo, Malta-Sicily and other key links with Italy, Tunisia and Libya were discussed.
Air Nostrum has also joined the Airlander 50 Development Partner Program, becoming the first commercial airline associated with that project.
Airlander 50 is designed for a payload of 50 tonnes and will address the future of freight transport, moving cargo or people from one point to another with minimal infrastructure and low environmental impact. The Airlander 50 Development Partner program allows major Airlander 50 partners and future customers to influence and improve the Airlander 50 specifications of Hybrid Air Vehicles.
In March 2023, Hybrid Air Vehicles and the UK’s South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, led by Mayor Oliver Coppard, announced a £7m investment in plans to bring production of Airlander 10 aircraft to the region. The plans will enable the creation of more than 1,200 highly-skilled jobs and thriving new supply chains.
Miguel Ángel Falcón, President of Mel Air and Vice President of Air Nostrum, stated: “There are many factors that motivate us to fly with Airlander, including very low fuel consumption, which provides great ecological and economic benefits; the great operational versatility of being able to take off and land on land and water; the familiar concept that offers from 10 to 50 tons of payload from 100 passengers on the Airlander 10, all in an environment of great passenger comfort. These are just some of the critical factors that make the Airlander an excellent aircraft for regional flights.”
Founded in 1982, Avion Revue Internacional is a leader in aeronautical information in Spanish. Since its inception it has reflected every aspect of aviation, from commercial to military aviation, through aerospace, history, technical and business aviation. Month after month, Avion Revue covers all the news and outstanding news from the world of aviation, both nationally and internationally, in Spain and Latin America.
