Airships are a German invention, Count Zeppelin and Hugo Eckener are the great names that have left their mark. Lake Constance and Friedrichshafen will forever be associated with this pioneering era. However, every grandly conceived use of this "giant technology" ended tragically, whether as a weapon of war in the First World War or as a passenger solution in Lakehurst. The USA even used airships as aircraft carriers - perhaps someone will write something about this. The commercial use never materialised either, most recently in 2002 with the insolvency of the Cargolifter company, whose hangar is now a huge adventure swimming park. Otherwise, "blimps" are a joy for paying tourist flights (is it actually called "flight"?) or floating advertising boards.
And now the vision from Switzerland:
Swiss vision, shipping and aviation, the best of both worlds. Photo: airyacht.ch
Airships are a new leisure activity for people who don't know what to do with their money: the "Airyacht" is set to become the new "ultimate" sailing experience, says the manufacturer. A yacht that sails the seas or floats in the sky. The airship is a combination of superyacht and gondola. With a length of 200 metres and the motto "Sail the Sky", the Swiss company Airyacht as a floating home and, with the detachable zeppelin, an aircraft with 750 square metres of living space. You can also simply park it as a holiday home. The "Airyacht combines the best of two worlds: shipping and aviation." Says the manufacturer.
Only the cabin of the airship has taken off. Graphic: Airyacht
The first copy of the "largest rigid airship in the world" in 2026, the entrepreneur will be delivered. More are to follow in 2027, up to four per year. The airyacht flies on helium, and its fuel consumption in flight is 10 to 50 times less than that of an 80-metre superyacht. The air yacht should be able to fly for a week without landing or refuelling. The designs by yacht designer Franck Darnet, says Hoddé, include versatility. The price is that of an 80 to 100 metre superyacht and is less than that of a business jet. It is therefore estimated to cost around 100 million dollars.
So far, everything is not very concrete, price and performance remain vague, and there is only an art impression on a hyper-abstract website to show off. It all seems a bit like the project was inspired by "Avatar - Journey to Pandora". Investors are being kept under wraps, and even such banal questions as who should build, accept or approve something like this have not even been asked. But if you have visions of the future, you don't think about IMO, DNV or TÜV.
No longer just a wish, but a reality. Not only sailing but also flying with a yacht. Photo: airyacht.ch
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