Carcroft Common is a 50-hectare site identified by the City of Doncaster Council for development, which will serve as the base for production, testing and certification operations.
Hybrid Air Vehicles will acquire the freehold and initiate activities leading towards a planning application, working with the local community and other stakeholders as part of the planning and preparation process.
Subject to planning approval, Hybrid Air Vehicles will develop facilities for production, testing and certification operations capable of producing up to 24 Airlander 10 aircraft per year.
It will house cutting-edge aerospace production equipment such as assembly lines for the Airlander’s composite-based airframe, propulsion systems and electrical and avionics systems.
The Airlander 10 is capable of carrying 100 passengers or 10 tonnes of cargo and has an orderbook in excess of £1 billion.
The first aircraft is set to enter service from 2028 with Air Nostrum Group the launch airline customer.
The partnership with the City of Doncaster Council will establish Carcroft Common as a hub for advanced manufacturing and sustainable aviation in South Yorkshire, creating over 1,200 new jobs and thriving supply chains.
Hybrid Air Vehicles will also work closely with regional partners including the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the Doncaster UTC.
Ros Jones CBE, Mayor of Doncaster, says, “The City of Doncaster is at the forefront of embracing new technology to drive growth and this proposed Hybrid Air Vehicles site is not only part of our ambitious growth strategy but also our pioneering climate change ambitions, focusing on new green advanced manufacturing and sustainable industrial innovation.”
Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North and Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero, says, “This is absolutely fantastic news for Carcroft and for Doncaster. This new production site will create over 1,200 much needed highly skilled jobs to the area as well as bring green air travel a step closer.”
Tom Grundy, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles, adds, “Airlander 10 will transform what’s possible for sustainable air travel, and Carcroft Common will deliver the flagship production centre we need to do that, creating over 1,200 jobs and a £1 billion per annum export.”