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Cargolux signs deal with airship firm
[ December 13, 2013 // Chris ]Aeroscraft Corporation, US-based inventor of a revolutionary new type of airship, has signed a memorandum of understanding with European-based freighter airline, Cargolux. Aeroscraft is developing a new design of airship that can control its own buoyancy, capable of handling heavy payloads but without the need to add or jetison ballast as with existing airship designs.
The two partners will explore the benefits of using the Aeroscraft’s capabilities to provide transport services through Europe and North Africa, and beyond.
Aeroscraft says it can solve many current logistical problems through its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability for heavy and outsized cargo, and ability to transport ISO containers vertically.
The deal will also give Aeroscraft to access to Cargolux’s airfreight network in Europe and the surrounding regions and the carrier’s project and general cargo expertise, as in providing maintenance services to support the Aeroscraft’s European operations.
Earlier, Icelandair Cargo said it would set up a partnership with Aeroscraft to develop transport by airship in the Arctic region. The two partners would deliver standard containers via a hub in Iceland to destinations such as Greenland, Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada where infrastructure is currently lacking and which has hinded the development of natural resources in the region. Aeroscraft says that it can also offer significant fuel savings compared with convential aircraft. Moreover, with its vertical take-off and landing capability, it does not need large runways.
Aeroscraft plans to have a fleet of 22 airships ready for operation in 2016 offering, respectively, cargo capacity of 66 tons and a range of 3,100 miles or 250 tons and a range of 6,000 miles.
Icelandair would be able to provide connections on its scheduled services between Reykjavik and 35 cities in 16 countries on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tags: Aeroscraft, Cargolux