Source: Hybrid Air Vehicles
Kuehne+Nagel (K+N) has joined a network of companies that are exploring use cases for Hybrid Air Vehicles’ (HAV) in-development airships.
HAV said that the forwarder had joined its Airlander Futures Network to look specifically at Airlander’s potential to fill the gap between "fast, carbon-intensive airfreight and cheap but slow surface transport”.
Meanwhile, disaster relief planning group Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management has also joined the network to provide expertise and input on the role larger Airlander aircraft could play in humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
"With the requirement for prepared runways removed and the ability to carry large payloads for days at a time, future Airlander aircraft could provide a new solution for disaster relief," HAV said in a press release.
The Airlander Futures Network is a group that allows the logistics, freight, and other key markets to come together over shared business needs.
"These global players will contribute their market expertise and industry insight to drive forward the design and specification of future Airlander aircraft," HAV explained.
Airlander 10, HAV’s first aircraft to market, will be capable of delivering 100+ seat passenger mobility, or a 10-tonne payload of freight transportation, or a combination of the two.
Airlander 10 already has customers, such as European regional airline Air Nostrum Group and eco-tourism brand Grands Espaces.
Eventually, HAV hopes to launch larger versions of the model, up to a variant that could carry up to 200 tonnes.
George Land, executive director sales at HAV, said: “The Airlander Futures Network poses a real opportunity to understand the aspirations of the logistics and freight market.
"We believe larger Airlander variants can unlock further growth and efficiency in those markets. This network lays the groundwork for relationships with industry that will collaboratively grow to deliver an aircraft that meets their needs and the needs of the planet."
