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From Times Online

June 6, 2008

Zeppelin airships to fly over London again

Ginny McGrath

A German airship operator is to start Zeppelin sightseeing flights over London's most famous landmarks from next month.

After two years of planning, five sightseeing flights of London onboard a Zeppelin airship will take off every day from July 10 and run for six weeks over summer.

The flights will take off from east London and climb to 2,000 ft above the Thames. The longest flights will see the airships cast shadows over Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament before returning to its base at Damyns Hall airfield, Upminster.

Tours will last between 30 minutes and an hour and will accommodate 12 passengers per flight, with every ticket offering a window seat in the 35-foot long cabin.

The airship will arrive in the UK on July 6 and commercial flights will operate from July 10 after four days of test flights.

Flights will be on offer until August 21 – the short season owing partly to safety restrictions, which stop the airship from flying during heavy winds, thunderstorms or fog.

According to manufacturers, the latest model, the Zeppelin NT07, is safer and more advanced than earlier models such as the Hindenburg, which famously crashed in New Jersey in 1937.

The 75metre-long NT07 is semi-rigid and filled with non-flammable helium gas. The cabin has seats for 12 passengers, one pilot and one flight attendant and although there’s a toilet onboard, in-flight catering is unlikely.

The 30-minute flights will travel from Upminster to Greenwich Palace, the 45-minute flights will reach St Pauls and the 60-minute flights will get as far as Buckingham Palace before returning east.

The company behind the tours is German airship operator, DZR GmbH, which will sell the London tours under the brand Stella Artois: Star Over London. It will be promoted by Rory Laing, a former contestant of the BBC reality show, The Apprentice.

The www.staroverlondon.co.uk website is expected to go live within a matter of days and corporate bookings are already being taken over the phone (020 7183 3911).

Tickets will cost between £185 and £360 depending on the length of the tour, but the company will also raise revenue from selling advertising space – it costs between £25-35,000 to daub images and messages on the aircraft. This morning, a deal was reached with Stella Artois to be the sole sponsor of the flights - its logo will adorn the sides of the Zeppelin.

Although DZR GmbH says it is ready to launch on July 10, the Civil Aviation Authority said it had yet to receive an application for approval. A spokesman told Times Online: “We have had no applications for approvals from UK operators of airships."

However, the airship operator insists it has received all required permissions and certifications from the CAA through the German parent operating company, DZR GmbH.

London isn’t the first destination for Zeppelin Tours. Airship Initiatives, which is also promoting the London tour, currently offers Zeppelin flights from Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance in southern Germany from £295 an hour. It has also offer flights in Tokyo and Osaka and is rumoured to be considering San Francisco for its next operation.

I live on the top of Shooters Hill in London. I am not enjoying the Air Ship! Today I counted 14 times the air ship flying noisily at low level over my house and invading the privacy of myself, wife and children in my own back garden. I probably wouldn't complain if it was once or twice a day!

Tim Marchant, London, United Kingdom

I have just been told about this by a collegue at work and I am intrigued especially as i have had a facination with the great zepplins since 5 years old don't know why ? I have researched a lot about this subject have found out about the german company that had started to manufacture zepplins.

steven Gilbert, burham on crouch, uk

A disaster would be unlikely as new airships are helium filled as the Graff zepplin was
The unlucky hindenburg was a rushed through production and hydrogen was easier and cheaper to produce
The graff zepplin survived until the 1940's .
Luxury travel wasn't needed in WW2.

steven Gilbert, burham on crouch, uk

Not likely to have a disaster as Airships have helium which is nonflamable unlike the Hindenburg which had rush production to cope with must have been an amazing sight
Q. how big is the new zepplin
To a person who has been facinated with airships since 7 yrs old it's intriguing £250.OUFF !

steven Gilbert, burham on crouch, uk

To sell passenger tickets for flights beginning and ending in the UK you must have a UK Aicraft Operators Certificate issued by the CAAfor Public Transport Flights. I don't think they have one so don't waste your money as you can't get one overnight.Hasn't the promoter been declared bankrupt twice

JR, London, UK

Yes, a trip will be spectacular. A disaster will also be spectacular. The London Eye is cheaper and safer.

San Ying, Montreal, Canada

Viz reference to the Hindenburg: it flew over 1,500 passengers across the Atlantic in perfect safety before the trip we all know about. The Concorde and DC-10 have far worse safety records per passenger mile (weighted for no. built), but those words aren't synonymous with 'flying deathtrap'...

Leo, York, UK

Too expensive compared to what? How else are you going to get the same experience? There's a limited number of tickets and there are fixed costs to operating an airship. It's only too expensive if no one buys the tickets.

Sandy Wolf, Brighton, UK

As expected: Not for the common man.. there was another article about the pricey tickets to trourist attractions over UK.. This one can join the list.. people shouldn't pay more than £50 for a ride on this.

Ashwin, Bristol,

How much is a helicopter flight over london.

with its noise and vibration?

MH, Middlesex,

Cheaper to get a flight to Paris and back again to London and you get a flght over Paris as well.

Kiri, London, UK

The ship for america is built and in the hanhar in friedrichharfen

RwS 607, Cardington,

Revenue could be had using electronic signage just as the Goodyear blimp does here in America and elsewhere, in addition to the painted logo. They've been doing so for 70 years! It isn't necessary to paint the sides of the airship.

Ticket prices seem high but, like Concorde, something to be done.

David Cunard, Los Angeles, United States

"Too expensive"

Erm, these aren't being aimed at your average cheeky chappy Lahndaner or even at the middle class in Islington who expect to be able to afford everything, but rather at the high end people who earn £360 in seconds.

I doubt it's too expensive at all.

Jamie, Halifax, West Yorkshire

Sad that this interesting endeavour will be floating above London selling yet more alcohol advertising. Just what we don't need with current problems.
Surely Olympics2012 or London Tourism would have been more appropriate ?

Anne, Camberley,

An excellent initiative without a shadow of a doubt! But a bit on the expensive side, unfortunately.

Charles J. van Doornewaard, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Great idea, shame about the price!

Farrukh, Woking,

Not of course the first time that Zeppelins will have been seen over central London, but let's not mention the Great War!
Except to say that my father was one of the Boy Scouts who cycled round blowing a whistle and carrying a placard saying "Take Cover" when a Zep was spotted crossing the coast.

Malcolm Stuart, Banwell, England

Too expensive!

Sharon Bradbury, Teddington, UK