This was published 4 years ago
Airlander 10 flight to the North Pole for 2023 goes on sale
The Airlander 10, AKA 'the flying bum'.Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles
A Swedish company is offering 16 tourists the chance to see the North Pole from the world's longest aircraft.
OceanSky has put tickets on sale for the 92-metre Airlander 10 airship which will fly in 2023 for a day tour.
The ship will depart from Svalbard on the Norwegian archipelago before the 36 hour flight.
Prices for the luxury cruise are $90,000.Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles/Design Q
However, the Airlander 10 is decked out in the kind of luxury usually reserved for five star hotels.
Carl-Oscar Lawaczeck, CEO and founder of OceanSky said: "The expedition to the North Pole is for the traveller who wants to experience the Arctic in a unique way, and at the same time contribute to the development of sustainable travel."
This is a historic endeavor. Never in history has an airship landed on the North Pole.
The design for the interior of the Airlander 10.Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles/Design Q
"Roald Amundsen flew from Svalbard and over the North Pole in 1926 with the airship "Norge". Now we are doing the same expedition, but we will also land on the North Pole. The passengers will enjoy the arctic nature in serenity and comfort in a hyper-efficient modern flying vehicle. They will be pioneering a new way to travel, flying for sustainable skies."
He said that the ride would be quieter and smoother than a plane.
Lawaczeck said passengers after landing in the Arctic, passengers would enjoy a day excursion, to be lead by expert and climate activist Robert Swan.
On the flight to the North Pole, the 16 passengers will be served an Arctic-inspired menu prepared on board by an award-winning chef. The price for a private two-bed cabin is $90,000.
The overnight trip is 15 hours each way, with six hours on the ground, including lunch in the snow.
Manufactured by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) and nicknamed "the flying bum" for its shape, the Airlander made its first test flight in 2016. That same year it suffered a setback after making a "hard landing" in an airfield in Bedfordshire, suffering significant damage to its cockpit.
HAV is currently seeking a $242 million cash injection in order to put Airlanders into production, London's Telegraph reports. It currently has 10 provisional orders for the aircraft, priced at $72 million each. The original prototype was funded by the US military.
with Stuff.co.nz
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