Grands Espaces, a French eco-tourism company, has added a new aircraft called “The Flying Bum” to its fleet. Officially known as the Airlander 10, this climate-conscious craft is designed to bring the Zeppelin era into the future. Built by the UK’s Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the blimp uses helium and electricity to stay aloft.
Under development since 2007, the Airlander 10 promises lower emissions, fuel burn, noise, and operating costs. HAV promotes the vehicle as “the future of zero-carbon aviation.” The flexible payload space of the aircraft allows for various configurations, from dining rooms in the sky to surveillance centers, and experiential travel.
The company plans to deploy the Airlander 10 for trips to hard-to-reach and undiscovered places. Founded by polar explorer Christian Kempf, Grands Espaces envisions low-impact flights to spectacular sites, including the Arctic. With the ability to take off and land from any reasonably flat surface, including water and ice, tourists could travel to typically unreachable destinations. Grands Espaces aims to offer customers these flights starting in 2028.
Partnering with Grands Espaces adds another client to Hybrid Air Vehicles’ slowly expanding roster. The company has also revealed plans to work with BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest defense company, to deploy the aircraft in defense and security operations. If all goes to plan, the bulbous rear of the Airlander 10 will soon become a fixture in our skies.