Scots at helm of luxury airship tours

● Airlander firm announces plans for trips to world’s natural wonders

The Scottish-led team behind the airship-looking Airlander 10 have announced plans to adapt it for luxury tours to natural wonders such as the North Pole.

Other destinations for the world’s largest aircraft could include the Bolivian salt pans and the Namib desert in southern Africa.

Airlander firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) said: “The ability to stay aloft for days at a time, in virtual silence, with floor-to-ceiling windows and fresh air make Airlander perfect for cruising in exceptional locations.

“Though potentially capable of staying in the air for weeks at a time, it is her ability to land anywhere that truly sets her apart from traditional aircraft.

“These twin assets make her perfect for exclusive adventures, bringing guests to hardto-reach

0 A luxury cabin will be developed for scenic tours on Airlander 10, the world’s largest aircraft locations in unprecedented levels of comfort.”

An “expeditionary” journey is planned for next year by luxury travel firm Henry Cookson Adventures. HAV said the firm would work with scientists, explorers and conservationists to share “hidden corners of the world with a select few”, which would promise “genuine next-level travel”.

Ithasalsocommissionedaviation design company Design Q to produce a luxury touring cabin for the 300ft-long craft.

Airlander chief test pilot Dave Burns, from Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, said: “I am really excited about the possibility of taking the first passengers on board.

“I can imagine the awe and excitement of seeing the world in luxury, with amazing views, quietly and whilst respecting the environment.”

A £60,000 grant from UK government agency Innovate UK will help develop the project.

Design Q chief executive Howard Guy said: “It demands an interior that truly breaks new ground and provides an experience that will be unlike anything seen before.

“This will be something that passengers will treasure all their lives.”

Airlander – part aircraft, part helicopter – resumed test flights last year from its base near Bedford following a damaging “heavy landing” on one of its first trips in 2015.

Several of the company’s key people are Scottish, with chief executive Stephen Mcglennan from Stepps in North Lanarkshire. Chairman Philip Gwyn is the grandson of Clyde shipbuilding magnate Hugh Macmillan.