Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) says its hybrid-electric Airlander 10 airship is on track to be ready to carry up to 100 passengers on regional airline services beginning in 2025. Newly released cabin concepts show possible configurations ranging from a spacious 10-seat layout for luxury tours or on-demand urban air mobility services to higher-density versions for scheduled city-to-city operations.

The UK-based company says the aircraft will be able to support airline routes of up to around 230 nm. However, with a top speed of around 75 knots, the Airlander 10 will be significantly slower than conventional aircraft. Nevertheless, HAV believes it can be competitive by offering passengers the chance to completely bypass airports to fly directly from one downtown location to another, taking off from seafronts, docks, or any flat surface on land.

In some cases, HAV says, the Airlander would generate 75 percent lower CO2 emissions than alternative means of transportation. The company aims to offer an all-electric version of the airship by 2030.