Q: Tell us a bit about the company. Why airships?
The company AERONOVA was founded by world-class lighter-than-air specialists. The core of the company consists of PhD and Doctor of Science holders whose track record stands out across the history of lighter-than-air flight.
Today, we are reinventing the very approach to creating lighter-than-air technology — building a fully integrated design-to-production cycle for airships within a single center of excellence. We have established a design bureau and a pilot production facility capable of — and already — turning out several units per month. We have mastered the core technological process — the production of non-rigid airship envelopes. And our proprietary hardware-software platform has made airships modern players in the unmanned aviation market.
What makes modern airships unique is that they do not compete with airplanes, ships, or helicopters. They open entirely new niches and tackle tasks that were previously considered impossible. They turn ""impossible"" into economically feasible.
Q: In which areas and regions do you see a need for the use of your airships?
The potential of lighter-than-air technology is enormous, but it makes sense to focus on segments where airships have a genuine competitive advantage:
- Project logistics — especially in the Arctic, Siberia, Africa, and island nations where developed infrastructure is lacking and traditional delivery methods are costly and inefficient.
- Survey and monitoring — for oil and gas companies, forestry, research centers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), and security and law enforcement agencies that require long-duration ""station-keeping"" with real-time data transmission.
- Advertising and branding — major brands are increasingly seeking unconventional ways to reach audiences; an airship can be equipped with LED panels, projectors, and even sound systems, turning it into a flying media center.
- Tourism — in regions with unique natural landscapes (the Alps, the deserts of the UAE, the tropics of Southeast Asia), where an airship flight becomes a memorable experience.
Q: Which technologies, in your opinion, will have the greatest impact on the aerospace industry over the next five years?
I believe the key areas of development in the industry will be unmanned systems in combination with artificial intelligence, and hybrid propulsion systems. Unmanned technologies have long since moved beyond entertainment and are now becoming critical components across various sectors of the economy. They open up opportunities for tasks that were previously impossible or uneconomical, and their development is fueled by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and new materials.
Hybrid propulsion systems can address one of the aerospace industry's main challenges — high emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Many experts agree that in the coming years we will see hybrid solutions dominate, providing the necessary balance between environmental performance, range, and economic viability.
Q: What are your expectations for Dubai Airshow 2025, and what can attendees expect to see from your company at the airshow?
Dubai Airshow 2025 is the ideal platform to demonstrate the operational maturity of our project. We would like to show the world that the airship industry opens up new prospects and horizons that can reshape the world as we know it. And of course, we expect to establish business relationships with both investors and customers who are interested in innovative solutions for their businesses.
Among the highlights at our stand, visitors will be able to see:
- A ""remote pilot"" zone, where visitors can try their hand at being real airship pilots: thanks to our developments, control is possible from anywhere in the world.
- A remote airship control station, where visitors can plan and program a flight path in real time.
