Flying Whales, a company specializing in airship technology for transporting heavy loads has announced its plans to open a manufacturing facility, in the UAE. This strategic decision is anticipated to create 1,000 employment opportunities through collaborations with its partners.
The airship, known as LCA60T operates on electricity. Boasts zero emissions. Resembling a whale in design it has the capability to transport loads, including hospitals to remote areas. The airship will receive certification from both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). With dimensions of 200 meters in length 50 meters in diameter and a cargo bay measuring 96 meters long it can. Unload up to 60 tonnes of bulky items while hovering—an extraordinary feat.
Flying Whales intends to establish an assembly line in Abu Dhabi for producing airships that will serve regions spanning East Africa to the Middle East and India. Discussions have already commenced regarding this endeavor. If the facility comes into operation as planned production is projected to start by 2027—creating around 300 jobs. Furthermore other consortium companies will also establish their presence, in the UAE for manufacturing components thereby resulting in a job creation of approximately 1,000 positions.
The company has plans to establish four assembly lines worldwide. These locations include Quebec, in Canada, Nouvelle Aquitaine in France, Abu Dhabi in the UAE and the State of Victoria in Australia. Each facility will serve its region. One remarkable feature of the airships design is its ability to load and unload without landing which means it won’t leave any trace on the ground.
Sébastien Bougon, chairman and CEO of Flying Whales highlighted that this new transportation model is more cost effective than helicopters and planes but slightly pricier than trucks. The company is working closely with authorities in both the US and Europe to ensure that the airship meets globally recognized safety standards for aircraft.
Flying Whales envisions establishing 30 bases in the UAE while deploying airships globally. The plan includes having 160 airbases with one airship dedicated to each base. The collaboration with Emirates is seen as a partnership that aims to expand their influence into regions, like India, East Africa and Turkey through airship production and operations based out of Emirates.
Currently the company is actively participating in COP28 at Expo City Dubai where they are showcasing innovation focused on reducing carbon emissions within transportation.
