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Sales of private jets are skyrocketing but luxury aviation won’t remain immune from the consequences of the flight shame movement much longer. Will new high-end travel options take off? What about old-fashioned airships propelled by new technology?
2019: A Banner Year For Private Aviation
At the end of the third quarter of 2019, sales of business jets were up 15% over the same period in 2018, driven by a prosperous economy and a huge tax break.
On top of the exorbitant price tag, private jets demand stellar maintenance costs, in the order of several millions of dollars per year. Nevertheless, they remain plutocrats’ most coveted dream. In the words of Vanity Fair’s William D. Cohan, they’re “the singular fetish object of the modern billionaire.”
But 2019 was also the year of flight shame, the social movement that put aviation in the dock. Originated in Sweden as flygskam, the movement’s name hints to the mix of shame and embarrassment that should pervade frequent flyers because of the negative environmental impact of aviation.
According to a report by the UK Committee on Climate Change, “flying is the quickest and cheapest way for a consumer to increase their carbon footprint.” And they were talking about a cramped seat in economy class. Imagine if you ride an aircraft all by yourself.
That’s why Forbes.com contributor Brian Foley predicts 2020 is the year flight shaming will hit private aviation. We’re getting a taste of it these days, as scores of private jets are whisking the global elites to Davos for the World Economic Forum where they're gonna discuss climate change and sustainability.
Will the pressure of public opinion dent the bottom line of private jets manufacturers? And what about greener but equally luxurious alternatives?
The Return Of The Airship: Just A Pie In The Sky?
In 2023, a luxury cruise will ferry well-heeled customers (tickets start at $79,000 per two-person cabin) from Svalbard to the North Pole, and back. OceanSky Cruises, the Swedish company that organizes the trip, promises “a flying-five star hotel,” comprehensive of sightseeing activities and cocktail parties.
If you’re wondering what means of transport could contemplate both the joy of flight and the spacious luxury of a cruise ship, the answer is: an airship. And in specific the Airlander 10, the world’s largest aircraft.
Built by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the Airlander 10 is propelled by a combination of four diesel engines and a helium-filled hull. Since it’s lighter-than-air, the gas generates lift allowing the blimp to use less thrust to remain airborne. “It will produce 75% fewer emissions than comparable aircraft,” commented Tom Grundy, HAV’s chief executive officer.
But the journey to make airships the most environmentally sustainable flying option has just started. HAV is now working to replace the diesel engines with electric ones, making Airlander’s 10 operations zero-carbon.
The return of the airship to our skies is then good news not just for steampunk appreciators but also for eco-minded, deep-pocketed travelers.
Beyond luxury tourism, companies and governments are exploring the potential of blimps for a broad range of different applications, from security and defense (the opulent cabins and cocktail bars can be turned into a data-collecting intelligence center) to logistics (as they don’t need runways, they can land and take off virtually anywhere). Will airships leave a trail for the future of sustainable aviation or are they just a pie in the sky?
What appears certain is that they’re gonna become an extravagant but green option for wealthy passengers who want to travel low (the Airlander 10 can cruise as low as 1,000 feet) and slow (it is designed to move at a maximum speed of 92 miles per hour). After all, as the cliché goes, “time is the ultimate luxury.”
