Airlander-10: The World’s Largest Aircraft.
It’s a bird, isn’t it? It’s a plane, isn’t it? It’s a hybrid airship, not a plane! At the 2023 Farnborough Airshow, the world’s biggest airplane revealed ideas for its interiors – and they’re magnificent.
Airlander-10, named "The Flying Bum" due to its posterior-shaped hull, is a hybrid aircraft, airship, and helicopter constructed by Hybrid Air Vehicles. The airplane is 92 meters long, which is roughly 18 meters longer than the world’s longest passenger airliner, the Airbus A380, which spans approximately 73 meters.
Airlander-10 features a spacious passenger cabin suspended beneath an aerodynamic, helium-filled balloon. It intends to carry up to 19 people on three-day trips, and it appears that they will be in for a treat on board.
The interiors were created in partnership with Design-Q, a design firm headquartered in the United Kingdom. Airlander-10 has luxurious en-suite bedrooms, an “Altitude Bar,” and large living space.
The most attractive part of the interior design is the glass flooring, which will let passengers to view horizon-to-horizon landscapes from 4900 meters.
Though it is larger than the A380, it is not as fast – the Airlander’s max speed is just 146km/h, while the A380’s cruising speed is 900km/h.
The Airlander, on the other hand, isn’t about speed. Instead of being a mode of transportation, the luxury aircraft is intended to restore the love of flight as an experience. Air travel has become all about getting from point A to point B as rapidly as possible. The Airlander makes the journey slow but more enjoyable.
Currently being built by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the elliptical-shaped airship is expected to launch in 2026. There are plans to produce at least 12 aircraft per year, with a fully-electric version being available by 2030.
Costing US$50 million, the part-plane, airship can reportedly land on ‘’virtually any surface”. Not only that, but Airlander-10 can take off from either a field or water, without the need for traditional infrastructure like ports or airports.
That’s what makes it ideal for short-haul flights from the UK to Spain’s popular islands. And tourists heading to Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca can look forward to experiencing a new level of luxury. This is what British holidaymakers have to look forward to in the near future.