Blimp my ride: the $50m airship for tomorrow’s pleasure-seekers

This video takes a look at the Airlander 10, a hybrid airship currently in the works, designed and built by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles.

According to Robb Report, the Airlander 10 has a base price of $50 million, while models with full specs cost an additional $10 to $20 million. Luxury travel groups plan to use it for safaris, hopping from one camp to the next, while another operator wants to fly it from Svalbard, Norway, and land near the North Pole.

Since airships don’t need runways, they are perfect for out-of-the-way destinations or hopping between private islands.

Once inside, the Airlander 10’s design and luxurious interior take no prisoners, and the vessel is made to carry privileged passengers able to afford the predictably hefty price tag for tickets.

Able to accommodate up to 18 guests on board, and cover approximately 2,000 nautical miles, it is also far quieter than a conventional plane.

“A lot of the leisure and tourism applications that we’ve looked at involve a great deal of luxury,” HAV commercial business development director George Land has said. “We have one cabin that contains … double bedrooms, a living room area, a bar and eating area, so you can live on the aircraft.

“You’re probably using it to go in-land and to get to places where you wouldn’t normally go, because you can land the aircraft in the middle of the desert, in scrub or on ice.”

Reportedly, Hybrid Air Vehicles’ floating goliaths will offer private passenger travel beginning in 2024.

“They’re rather like a superyacht, with the same level of luxury inside,” HAV spokeswoman Rebecca Zeitlin said of the anticipated airship. “We like to think of it as a fast yacht rather than a slow aircraft.”

View the original video here.