“For most holidaymakers, the ‘airplane mode’ setting on our phones is an apt metaphor for the current experience of air travel. We check in, switch off and come back to life once we’re back on the tarmac, all while pumping plumes of planet-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
But now a handful of enterprising companies want to rethink this modern approach to flying, using what many would consider a relic from aviation’s history: the airship. For a trade-off in travel speed, these companies claim zephyr-style aircrafts offer a greener, more pleasant form of air transport, utilising technology that is already available.
With eco-friendly jetliners still decades away, could embracing slow air travel help reduce aircraft emissions in the coming years?
At present, the commercial aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2.5 per cent of global CO2 emissions (that’s more than double the amount produced annually by the UK). In an increasingly eco-conscious world, which has given rise to movements like flygskam (‘flight shame’), the sector is facing huge pressure from consumers and governing bodies to become more climate-friendly…
History propelling the future
For all the excited chatter of futuristic fuel cells and cutting-edge electrical materials, it’s fun to consider that the shorter-term solution to our green flight problem could come from a piece of aviation history.
…With conventional air travel feeling increasingly out of step with modern tastes, a handful of airship companies have risen to the fore. These include LTA Research, backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and Flying Whales, which has received funding from the French government.
Leading the charge, however, is the UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), and its flagship Airlander 10, a huge, aircraft that’s been a decade in the making and comes with a clear sales pitch to climate-conscious travellers.
“While the aviation industry focuses on trying to decarbonise its smallest aircrafts, what we have is a product that will come into the market capable of carrying 100 people to their destinations with 75 per cent less emissions than a conventional flight,” explains Tom Grundy, CEO of HAV.
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Pictured: HAV’s flagship aircraft promises a comfortable experience for passengers.
A cross between a blimp and a plane, Airlander uses a non-rigid inflatable hull filled with – non-flammable – helium to generate lift, and four ‘ultra-efficient’ combustion engines to manoeuvre. With a top speed of 80mph (130kph), it’s significantly slower than a conventional jet, but potentially a lot comfier too, with the designs including floor to ceiling windows and space for passengers to freely move around. This luxury of space also carries an additional bonus.
“Our goal is to reach zero emissions,” says Grundy, “And because we don’t have major limitations with weight or space, the challenges with integrating batteries or hydrogen power – when that technology becomes available – are far reduced.”
The company is set to begin production from a Yorkshire-based site this year, and has secured its first orders from Spanish Airline, Air Nostrum. The team’s goal is to get the first Airlander into the skies by 2026.
The company will start by targeting short-distance, regional transport routes, but Airlander’s versatility is what Grundy finds exciting, with freight transportation (as a low-carbon alternative to cargo planes) and humanitarian relief (Airlander does not require an airport to land) additional sectors the team are exploring.
“If you look at the different forms of transport that we’ve got today, you’ve got ultra-fast planes and then you’ve got everything else that goes over the surface,” says Grundy. “So, what happens when you put a new form of connection in the market? The world’s open for us to rethink what we do by air.” …
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Pictured: An Airlander airship about to land in a field. Air Nostrum, a Spanish airline, already has Airlanders on order.
Ironically, it could be lifestyle changes that came about because of the pandemic – which wreaked havoc on the aviation industry – that bolsters the appeal of airship travel to the public.
“I could see environmentally conscious travellers choosing to take an airship instead of a flight if they can work remotely, in comfort, on the airship,” says Mukhopadhaya. “Then maybe they don’t lose vacation days in transit. This is my personal dream.”
Low-emissions flying with room to breathe? Perhaps it’s time to switch to ‘aircraft mode’.”
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