Flying Whales partners with Canadian North on cargo airship for Arctic operations

By Brian Dunn | July 10, 2023

The idea of using airships for commercial purposes is starting to take off in Canada.

Canadian North, an Inuit-owned airline that serves Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Nunavik region of Quebec, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Flying Whales to study the potential of a cargo airship solution capable of operating in Canada’s North and the High Arctic, as well as how it would benefit Inuit communities.

Almost exactly a year ago, the Quebec government also signed a deal with France-based Flying Whales, kicking in $55 million to get its LCA60T airship program off the ground — with the objective of having the airships built in the province through the Flying Whales Quebec subsidiary.

Flying Whales is developing the 200-meter-long vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) airship for the heavy load transport market. The LCA60T design is not likely to be complete until at least 2025, and will be subject to Transport Canada approval.

While Canadian North has not contributed any money to Flying Whales, the airline will “provide detailed insights gained over our 77-years of experience operating in Canada’s North and the Arctic,” said Michael Rodyniuk, president and CEO of Canadian North.

Rodyniuk argues that airships could “dramatically reduce the cost” of goods in the North.

“The airship being developed by Flying Whales represents the best and most advanced airship for our Canadian operations,” he added.

In April, Honeywell’s 1-megawatt generator was selected by Flying Whales to supply power for its LCA60T hybrid-electric airship. Both companies signed a contract for the integration and supply of the generator.

Flying Whales plans to build its airships to carry oversized loads of up to 60 tons. The LCA60T will first be equipped with hybrid propulsion before becoming fully electric. The lift will be generated by 10 non-pressurized helium cells.

Meanwhile Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, is behind a new aerospace research and development company called Lighter Than Air (LTA) Research, which is preparing to launch the Pathfinder 1, the first of a fleet of airships.

The Pathfinder 1 is 122 meters long and 20 meters in diameter. It has 28 tons of lift and should be able to travel at least 2,000 nautical miles at a time, according to LTA. Its successor, to be built in Akron, Ohio, will stretch to 180 meters long and will fly faster and farther and carry more cargo. According to the company, LTA’s airships could one day carry as much as 200 tons of cargo each, almost 10 times the amount of something like a Boeing 737.