China's Aviation giant set to deliver new sightseeing Airships

China's Aviation giant set to deliver new sightseeing Airships
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 02, 2024

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a leading player in the China's aviation sector, has announced that its latest venture into the skies, the AS700 civilian airship, is gearing up for its first deliveries by the close of this year. The state-owned conglomerate has already caught the eye of significant domestic travel operators following the airship's certification, signaling a fresh era in aerial tourism.

Senior engineer and project leader at AVIC, Du Wei, shared insights on Sunday, revealing the reception of 18 orders for the AS700, setting the stage for imminent deliveries. Zhou Lei, tasked with the airship's design, highlighted the growing fascination among Chinese citizens for low-altitude flying experiences. He boasted of the AS700's trifecta of appeal: comfortable travel, environmental consciousness, and unrivaled safety, making it an attractive option for those keen on exploring the skies.

The airship's debut voyage took place on Saturday, charting a course from Jingmen Zhanghe to Jingzhou Shashi General Aviation Airport, showcasing its aerial prowess over a duration of one hour and 46 minutes. Lin Hong, one of the pilots manning the prototype, commended its ease of control and agility in tight spaces.

Originating from AVIC's Special Aircraft Research Institute in Jingmen, Hubei, the AS700 project embarked in August 2018 with the vision to satiate the growing appetite for sightseeing air tours. This airship, powered by piston engines, can host one pilot and nine passengers, achieving speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour and capable of sustaining flight for 700 kilometers or up to ten hours.

To date, three prototypes have been developed, with the inaugural one serving as an unmanned tech demonstrator and the subsequent two undergoing manned test flights to meet certification demands. The culmination of these efforts was the issuance of a type certificate by the Civil Aviation Administration of China last December, marking the AS700 as the country's pioneering certified manned airship.

This certification, a crucial milestone, attests to the airship's design and operational safety, following a rigorous evaluation. The Special Aircraft Research Institute's history of crafting both manned and unmanned airships for over three decades, primarily for scientific and demonstrative purposes, has set the groundwork for this commercial venture. Unlike its predecessors, the AS700 stands as the institute's first to achieve certification for civilian use.