Today everyone is coming up with new ideas and bringing back old ones to cut fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions. Some companies are investing in airships as a revived mode of transportation. Most of us have heard of the Hindenburg explosion over 70 years ago and associate that with airships being unsafe. The zeppelins of today are much more sophisticated due to advanced materials and improved propulsion.
The US is researching airship technology but only for military use at the moment. Entrepreneurs in Germany and France are exploring the possibilities of using airships for commercial flights and transporting parcels. In Germany the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei transports sightseers and scientific payloads. Over 12,000 people were passengers of Zeppelin-Reederei last year.
Some experts contend that airships will remain a niche vessel and will never expand beyond the occasional tourist flights or transportation of scientific payloads. Airships travel at speed around 100 mph which is slow in comparison to a jet and they require a very large space to land. Storms also pose a concern.
Source: New York Times - Why Fly When You Can Float?
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