Air Nostrum (YW, Valencia Manises) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the operating lease of ten Airlander 10 airships with the British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles.

The firming of the commitment is subject to the certification of the airships. Air Nostrum hopes the first unit will enter into service in 2026 with deliveries of the remaining nine planned in a staggered manner over the next five years. The Spanish regional carrier would therefore be the type's global launch operator.

Air Nostrum stressed the airship's benefits in terms of its reduced environmental footprint and operational efficiency. It said the Airlander 10s would be able to operate from any "reasonably flat surface" - land or water - and would not require runways or other space-consuming infrastructure. They will be an attractive proposition to serve city centres, cities without airports or islands, although Air Nostrum did not reveal any further details concerning its plans for the airships.

Airlander 10s are designed to seat up to 100 passengers and will use electric propulsion combined with a helium-filled superstructure. The airship is also equipped with wings and generates around 40% of its lift from the wings when in a vertical motion. Air Nostrum says they would lower emissions by 90% compared to conventionally-powered aircraft. The Airlander 10 is well into its developmental phase, having flown for the first time in August 2016.

In July 2021, Air Nostrum signed an LOI with Universal Hydrogen for eleven conversion kits to replace conventional engines with hydrogen-powered ones on its fleet of ATR72-600s.