Insurance claim of up to £32m for repairs to Airlander

The insurance claim for the broken Airlander 10 could be as much as £32 million, it was revealed this week.

Hybrid Air Vehicles, the company behind the giant aircraft, sent out a letter to shareholders and club members following last month’s incident.

The morning after a successful test flight, the Airlander somehow detached from its moorings and ended up in a deflated and ripped heap on Cardington airfield.

HAV is still establishing the cause of the incident, which happened despite lower than average winds and superstrong tethering materials.

The newsletter describes the damage caused as “substantial” and says HAV is working closely with its insurers and also the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

It adds: “The damage to the Airlander aircraft will result in a claim under our insurance policy of up to £32 million, that being the maximum insured value.”

But retrieving the aircraft has not proved easy so far.

“The recovery operation is slightly complicated by the weather and the fact that many parts of the aircraft are in a ditch over a stream,” states the letter.

Shortly before the accident HAV announced a deal with Henry Cookson Adventures to trial the Airlander for luxury tourist flights – potentially a multi billion dollar market.

HAV is still confident the craft can be repaired or replaced for this market – though admits timescales could be delayed.