Hybrid Air Vehicles is establishing an Airlander 10 production facility in the British city of Doncaster, with the first ‘superyacht of the sky’ slated for take-off in 2028. Olivia Palamountain reports
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), a UK-based leader in sustainable aircraft technology, has reached an agreement with the City of Doncaster Council to establish a new production site for the Airlander 10 at Carcroft Common. (At the moment HAV is based in Bedford.)
The 50-hectare hub will be acquired by Hybrid Air Vehicles and feature cutting-edge aerospace production equipment, including assembly lines for Airlander’s composite-based airframe, propulsion systems, and electrical and avionics systems.
Airlander is a family of ultra-efficient aircraft capable of delivering zero emissions flight across travel and tourism, logistics, regional mobility, and communications and surveillance. 
HAV’s first production aircraft, the Airlander 10 is capable of delivering 100-seat passenger mobility, a ten-tonne payload of freight transportation, or any combination of the two.
Subject to planning approval, the company will develop new flagship facilities for Airlander 10’s production, testing, and certification operations, with the capacity to produce up to 24 aircraft per year.
The reserved order book for the aircraft stands in excess of £1 billion, with the first aircraft set to enter service from 2028. The launch customer will be Air Nostrum Group, which will use it to fly short-haul routes across Spain.
Tom Grundy, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, says: “Airlander 10 will transform what’s possible for sustainable air travel, and Carcroft Common will deliver the flagship production centre we need to do that, creating over 1,200 jobs and a £1 billion per annum export. Our vision to rethink clean flight has been met with robust support at every step of the way by City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire region.”
The partnership between the City of Doncaster Council and Hybrid Air Vehicles aims to establish Carcroft Common as a hub for advanced manufacturing and sustainable aviation in South Yorkshire, creating over 1,200 new jobs and thriving supply chains.
Hybrid Air Vehicles will also collaborate with regional partners such as the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the Doncaster UTC.
Further afield, French eco-tourism company, Grands Espaces, plans to deploy British-made Airlander 10 airships on voyages to the Arctic from 2028, as reported by Globetrender here.