China’s First Independently-Developed Civil Manned Airship

China’s first independently-developed civil manned airship, the AS700 was officially delivered to the customer on Saturday, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

Developed by the AVIC Special Vehicle Research Institute, the AS700 is a type of single-capsule manned airship, which has a maximum carrying capacity of 10 people, including a pilot. It has a maximum flight range of 700 km, a maximum altitude of 3,100 meters and a maximum endurance of 10 hours.

Before the delivery, the airship completed its trans-provincial ferry flight over around 1,000 km, and conducted 15 days of experience flights for 306 passenger trips, which verified its safety and reliability.