Hybrid Air Vehicles to study airship connections in Scottish Highlands and Islands

Hybrid Air Vehicles has announced a new, first of its kind study, to explore the case for using the Airlander 10 aircraft for passenger and freight transport in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

The study, supported by Highlands and Islands Airport (HIAL), the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, Orkney Island Council, and Scottish regional airline Loganair, will take around three months to complete. It will seek to understand how the Airlander 10 could support sustainable mobility in the region and boost connectivity across the Highland and Islands.

It will also compare emission reductions with existing transport options and assess the opportunities to operate at non-airport locations, taking advantage of the aircraft’s water operation capability.

“Hybrid Air Vehicles are changing the way we think about regional travel and sustainable aviation. This is particularly the case for sometimes hard-to-reach regions such as the Highlands and Islands. This study will, I hope, pave the way for a revolution in green short-haul flights in this wonderful, beautiful, if sometimes inaccessible, part of the world, boosting connectivity and the local economy as we do so,” said Hybrid Air Vehicles’ CEO, Tom Grundy. 

“HIAL’s aim is to become a net-zero carbon regional airport group. To achieve this, we need to investigate innovative solutions for sustainable air travel. This collaboration allows us to explore the potential use of Airlander 10 as part of the region’s transport network. A network that provides essential and lifeline services to some of Scotland’s most remote regions,” said Inglis Lyon, Managing Director at HIAL.