South Yorkshire Chambers Welcome Major Announcement From Hybrid Air Vehicles
Hybrid Air Vehicles, a leading pioneer in the field of green aviation, has today announced that it will be using a site in Doncaster as the base of operations for its forthcoming production programme. With this move further strengthening the investor’s ties to South Yorkshire — while promising to also yield a number of long-term economic benefits — the three regional Chambers of Commerce have welcomed the news with open arms.
Best known for their trailblazing aircraft, Airlander — which uses a combination of proven technologies derived from aeroplanes and airships — HAV is making huge strides when it comes to sustainability. Their overarching mission is to revolutionise the aerospace industry by embracing state-of-the-art materials that will drastically bring down emissions, in turn leading us towards to a greener future.
At the centre of this forward-looking vision is the Airlander 10; a helium-filled aircraft that is capable of carrying 100 people (or ten tonnes of freight) and remaining airborne for up to five days (in certain use cases). Not to mention, in addition to boasting such high endurance, its carbon footprint is up to 90% less than that of a comparable jet plane, making it far more eco-friendly.
Given how cutting edge this business is, the three South Yorkshire Chambers have always been heartened by the fact that HAV chose to invest in, and partner with, our region. Back in 2022, it was confirmed that the company would be establishing a manufacturing cluster here and, just last year, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority approved a £7 million loan to help HAV realise its ambitious plans.
Today marked yet another important milestone in this developing story, with Hybrid Air Vehicles announcing that it has just agreed to acquire, from the City of Doncaster Council, the freehold for a site in Carcroft Common. This is a major step forward for the aforementioned production programme.
Reacting to this positive development, the Chief Execs for the three South Yorkshire Chambers (those being the respective networks for Doncaster, Sheffield and Barsnley & Rotherham) issued the following joint statement:
“It’s incredibly exciting to know that these groundbreaking vehicles, which promise to shake up the aerospace industry in a major way, are going to be built right on our very doorstep and we are equally delighted that Hybrid Air Vehicles has found a site that meets their needs. Suffice it to say, this is fantastic news for all parties involved.
From day one, ourselves and various regional partners have strived to give this pioneering company a warm welcome, and that united Team South Yorkshire front has no-doubt been a significant factor in them choosing to partner with us. Indeed, HAV has previously remarked on just how accommodating and supportive they found the atmosphere to be here, making South Yorkshire an easy choice for their base of operations.
It’s a vote of confidence that is particularly rewarding for us at the Chambers, given that we played an early role in brokering those conversations between Hybrid Air Vehicles and the region at large; convening many of the organisations who made today’s announcement possible.
Looking ahead, we are tremendously optimistic about what this means for the future. For a start, the imminent production of Airlander in Carcroft is expected to create thousands of new job openings, many of which will be for highly-skilled and highly-paid positions. And given that our region truly has its act together when it comes to skills — boasting so many acclaimed institutions, renowned education providers and innovative projects — we are confident that the residents of South Yorkshire will be primed to seize these opportunities.
With the site also being at the centre of thrilling technological advancements, economic growth and an emerging supply chain, there are plenty of other reasons to be getting excited about this. However, we are especially looking forward to seeing how South Yorkshire and Hybrid Air Vehicles can continue working together in service of a mutually prosperous future."
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