Flying Whales in UAE: Innovative airship could whiz in Dubai skies soon

Flying Whales in UAE: Innovative airship could whiz in Dubai skies soon

Named LCA60T, the airship will be operated by Flying Whales Services. Photo: Supplied

Published: Mon 11 Dec 2023, 6:00 AM

Flying Whales, a French firm specialising in rigid airship technology for heavy-load transport, plans to set up a manufacturing facility in the UAE. This move will generate approximately 1,000 employment opportunities in collaboration with its partners.

Boasting zero-emission as it is entirely electric, the Whales will be certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). It operates like a helicopter and can carry heavy loads, such as mobile hospitals, to remote locations.

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"We would like to have a final assembly line in Abu Dhabi to produce airships for all the regions from East Africa to the Middle East to India. We have started the discussion, and if we set up a facility here, production will start in 2027, creating 300 direct jobs. Since other consortium companies will also come to the UAE to produce parts, in total, we will create around 1,000 jobs," said Sébastien Bougon, chairman and CEO of Flying Whales.

Since the airship was designed as a whale, it has been named after