Modern airship company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) will work with partners including Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Orkney Island Council on a new concept study, which will explore the ‘use case’ for introducing Airlander 10 aircraft for passenger transport and freight in the Highlands and Islands.
The three-month study aims to understand how the aircraft could support sustainable mobility while diversifying and boosting connectivity between communities.
“Airlander 10 could significantly cut emissions for travel in the Highlands and Islands, a region where air travel is a lifeline, not a luxury,” the company said in an announcement.
The helium-filled vehicles could transport up to 100 passengers, the Bedford firm previously said.
Originally designed for military intelligence and surveillance, the craft is now aimed at low-emission passenger aviation. The low-speed aircraft gets lift from a combination of buoyancy, aerodynamics and vectored thrust, maximising efficiency.
With a maximum payload of 10 tonnes and a range of over 7,000km, HAV previously said the Airlander 10 would produce about 10% of the per-passenger emissions of conventional airliners. The company is designing an all-electric, zero-emission variant, scheduled to be operational by the end of the decade. It also previously said that it could one day carry solar cell technology.
The study will compare emission reductions with existing transport options and assess opportunities to operate at non-airport locations, possibly even landing and taking off from the water. The project will also consider Airlander’s potential to deliver freight in its payload.
“More broadly, it is hoped that by transforming connectivity in the region it will better connect communities that are cut off from other modes of transport and attract more visitors and residents, thereby also creating an economic proposition for the region,” the announcement said.
The Highlands and Islands Airport (HIAL), which operates airports in Inverness, Orkney and elsewhere, is another partner in the consortium. Managing director Inglis Lyon said: “HIAL’s aim is to become a net-zero carbon regional airport group. To achieve this, we need to investigate innovative solutions for sustainable air travel.
“This collaboration allows us to explore the potential use of Airlander 10 as part of the region's transport network. A network that provides essential and lifeline services to some of Scotland’s most remote regions.”
Tom Grundy, CEO of HAV, said: “Hybrid Air Vehicles are changing the way we think about regional travel and sustainable aviation. This is particularly the case for sometimes hard to reach regions such as the Highlands and Islands.
“This study will, I hope, pave the way for a revolution in green short-haul flights in this wonderful, beautiful, if sometimes inaccessible, part of the world, boosting connectivity and the local economy as we do so.”
The climate is likely to be a consideration in the study, with the islands often facing strong winds, rain and fog.
The study “offers an opportunity for us to understand the potential offered by Airlander 10 as part of the region’s journey to net zero aviation,” said Ranald Robertson, partnership director at consortium member Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HiTrans), along with Scottish airline Loganair.
“Airlander offers an opportunity to provide low-carbon transportation of passengers and freight, with the potential to develop new routes where journey time savings can be realised on current modes of travel including road and ferry.”
The project follows HAV’s announcement earlier this year of its launch customer, Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum Group.
HAV faced several incidents during earlier testing of the Airlander 10 prototype, including a 2016 crash that caused damage to the cockpit.
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