Whether low-altitude satellite systems or freight transport, the airship is making a remarkable comeback in the aviation sector, with several projects in the development phase. Soon, this huge balloon, which took part in the conquest of the skies at the beginning of the last century before the Hindenburg disaster came to ruin this promising industry, could once again carry passengers. This is in any case the project of the British company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) which hopes to achieve commercial links over short distances, from 2025.

As fast as a car on the highway. It must be said that in terms of respect for the environment, balloon transport has arguments to make. According to the company, Airlander, its helium-filled model would reduce pollutant emissions by 75% compared to planes with combustion engines. With a capacity of around 100 passengers, with a payload of up to 10 tonnes, the Airlander could thus reach Liverpool to Belfast in five hours and twenty minutes or Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca in four and a half hours.

Admittedly, with a cruising speed of 130 km / h, the Airlander is not very fast but its technical characteristics allow it to escape the heavy constraints of the aircraft in terms of check-in, baggage management, boarding and regulation of air traffic.

A eulogy to slow time.For a century, the airship has been shaping a different way of traveling. Unlike the airplane, this one has the ability to take off and land on a very wide range of surfaces, including water. Enough to offer multiple opportunities for the organization of this type of flight and for some journeys to approach the real time offered by other modes of door-to-door transport. Add to this the experience offered by the balloon flight. On this point, HAV promises a commercial flight without comparison. Within its spacious cabin, each seat should offer unique access to the corridors; passengers can enjoy a flight whose altitude allows them to contemplate the landscape through the large bay windows of the non-pressurized cabin. Very far from the cramped and uncomfortable space of economy class airliners.