ABOVE: Airlander 10 made its inaugural flight from Bedfordshire’s Cardington in August 2016
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), developer of the Airlander 10 airship, is preparing to start work on its flagship production facility at Doncaster’s Carcroft Common site following receipt of the first funding instalment from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).
Announced in partnership with the City of Doncaster Council earlier this year, HAV’s 50-hectacre site will have capacity to produce up to 24 aircraft a year. ‘Larger, more fuel-efficient and lower-impact than aeroplanes, faster than travelling by land and sea, and capable of operating away from fixed infrastructure,’ Airlander estimates its aircraft will be able to deliver ‘100-seat passenger mobility, or a ten-tonne payload of freight transportation, or a combination of the two’.
With a site survey and preparatory work already underway, Chief Operating Officer Nick Allman explained that the Hybrid Air Vehicles will now be able to progress with the planning permission submission alongside “engaging key design and planning suppliers”. With work underway at the Carcroft Common site, a new office at Doncaster’s Cavendish court will also serve as a base for HAV employees.
The Carcroft Common site is located some 14 miles from Doncaster Sheffield airport, set to reopen as soon as Spring 2026. Welcoming HAV’s plans to progress with its Airlander 10 production site, “we are creating a world leading centre for sustainable aviation here in South Yorkshire,” commented Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard.
“I have already committed to doing what we can to reopen Doncaster Sheffield airport, creating a sustainable aviation hub at the centre of sustainable air travel. That is why companies like Hybrid Air Vehicles are choosing to try and build their business here,” he concluded.
IMAGE: HYBRID AIR VEHICLES
