The City of Doncaster Council and Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd (HAV) — a UK-based developer of sustainable aircraft technology — have agreed to locate the production programme for the Airlander 10 ‘large aircraft’ at Carcroft Common, a 50-hectare site identified by the Doncaster Council for ‘development to unlock new economic growth’.

Under the terms of the agreement, the freehold for the site will be acquired by HAV, which will now ‘initiate activities leading towards a planning application, working with the local community and other stakeholders as part of the planning and preparation process’; and subject to planning approval, the company will develop new facilities for Airlander 10’s production, testing, and certification operations. The site will be capable of producing up to 24 aircraft per year and will house new assembly lines for Airlander’s composites-based airframe, propulsion systems, and electrical and avionics systems.

Airlander 10, a new type of ultra-low-emissions aircraft capable of carrying 100 passengers or 10 tonnes of payload, has a reserved order book in excess of £1 billion. The first aircraft set to enter service from 2028, with Air Nostrum Group, the launch airline customer.

In partnership with the City of Doncaster Council, HAV will establish Carcroft Common as ‘a hub for advanced manufacturing and sustainable aviation in South Yorkshire’, creating over 1,200 new jobs and supply chains. The company will also work closely with regional partners like the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), and Doncaster UTC.

Ros Jones, the Mayor of Doncaster, said: “Doncaster already has strong clusters across various sectors such as rail, advanced manufacturing, and engineering, and I am delighted to soon be able to add this exciting new sector to our industries. The City of Doncaster is at the forefront of embracing new technology to drive growth and this proposed HAV site is not only part of our ambitious growth strategy but also our pioneering climate change ambitions, focussing on new green advanced manufacturing and sustainable industrial innovation.”