{"id":6282,"date":"2019-01-13T13:22:08","date_gmt":"2019-01-13T13:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/airlander-10-worlds-longest-aircraft-gets-full-production-go-ahead\/"},"modified":"2019-01-13T13:22:08","modified_gmt":"2019-01-13T13:22:08","slug":"airlander-10-worlds-longest-aircraft-gets-full-production-go-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/airlander-10-worlds-longest-aircraft-gets-full-production-go-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Airlander 10: World’s longest aircraft gets full-production go-ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Hybrid Air Vehicles<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n Airlander took its first flight in 2017 from Cardington Airfield
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The world’s longest aircraft is set to go into full production with the model designed to take its first passengers.<\/p>\n

It comes after the prototype \u00a332m Airlander 10 – a combined plane and airship – was formally retired following successful final testing.<\/p>\n

As a result, Bedford firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has been given Production Organisation Approval from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). <\/p>\n

Airlander 10 hit the headlines in 2017, when the prototype crashed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It collapsed to the ground in November that year, less than 24 hours after completing its sixth successful test flight.<\/p>\n

The firm was given Design Organisation Approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) in October.<\/p>\n

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\n sbna<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n The Airlander collapsed on 18 November 2017
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Stephen McGlennan, HAV’s chief executive, said 2018 had been very good, with Easa’s backing a “huge highlight”.<\/p>\n

He said the firm had changed its focus last year towards the production of Airlander 10 as a commercial aircraft for customers.<\/p>\n

“The prototype served its purpose as the world’s first full-sized hybrid aircraft, providing us with the data we needed to move forward from prototype to production standard,” he said. <\/p>\n

It is now hoped the full commercial model will take to the skies with its first paying passengers “in the early 2020s”.<\/p>\n

HAV submitted a \u00a332m insurance claim after the prototype crash, telling its shareholders this was the “maximum insured value”.<\/p>\n

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\n Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n Airlander 10 was originally based at Cardington Airfield
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Approval from the CAA and Easa now puts the firm in a “strong position to launch production”. <\/p>\n

HAV carried out its first test flight of Airlander 10 from its former home at Cardington Airfield in August 2016 but left the site in June last year.<\/p>\n

In July, it revealed it planned to offer “luxury expeditions” once all tests were successfully completed.<\/p>\n