23.12.2025
Since the dawn of air freight it has been defined by a simple constraint: if you want to move goods by air, you need a runway. Long, smooth, carefully engineered strips of concrete have dictated where aircraft can operate from, what routes carriers can serve, and how quickly freight can reach its intended destination. But as global supply chains evolve (and the pressure to decarbonise intensifies), that limitation is becoming increasingly outdated.
The challenges of reaching remote and underserved regions
Many regions still struggle with reliable logistics. Mountain communities, island nations, wind turbine development sites, and disaster-affected areas often lack the infrastructure that traditional aircraft require. Constructing new runways can take years, is costly, and has significant environmental impact. On top of that, modern freight networks rely heavily on multiple transfers through ports, rail terminals, and road networks. Each handover adds complexity, time, and cost.
Key factors that make delivery difficult include:
- Limited/no suitable runways or landing infrastructure
- High cost, time, and environmental impact of building new runways
- Reliance on multiple transfers between transport modes
- Complexity, delays, and added expense from handovers (in some railroad chains, transfer and handling costs can account for 73–75% of total transport costs)
- Inefficiencies in the middle mile, even in developed markets, when airports aren’t located near where goods are needed
These factors mean that the regions most in need of dependable delivery often have the least access to it.
How hybrid aircraft are redefining air access
Hybrid aircraft like Airlander offer a new way to connect. Its design reduces the need for heavy ground infrastructure, allowing it to operate from unprepared surfaces such as grass, gravel, sand, marsh, or even water, with short take-off and landing distances. This flexibility enables cargo to be delivered directly to its destination, bypassing distant airports and multiple handovers.
By addressing the challenges of remote access, multimodal complexity, and middle-mile inefficiency, hybrid aircraft create a structural shift in logistics, making genuine point-to-point transport possible.
Benefits beyond accessibility
Hybrid aircraft also provide environmental advantages:
- Significantly reduced emissions when compared to traditional freight aircraft
- Fewer transfers and shorter routes reduce emissions and delivery times
- Lower reliance on new runways reduces land use and the carbon footprint associated with airport construction (cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global CO₂ emissions)
- Access to sensitive ecosystems and hard-to-reach locations without causing disruption
This combination of flexibility, sustainability, and direct delivery opens up opportunities for businesses and communities that were previously constrained by traditional infrastructure.
Rethinking the future of freight
Infrastructure has long dictated how and where air freight can operate. Hybrid aircraft like Airlander show that’s no longer the case. By removing runway dependence, logistics can become more flexible, more sustainable, and more inclusive. The future of freight will be defined by adaptability, environmental care, and access—not by where concrete can be poured.