The Häfler Zeppelin shipping company had already announced in May that it would build another airship and expand the fleet to three zeppelins. The decision on the location for the airship has now also been made: Essen/Mülheim in North Rhine-Westphalia will be the new home.
Great demand for sightseeing and charter flights
According to the Zeppelin shipping company, sightseeing flights over Munich, Frankfurt and the major cities of the Rhineland are already on offer on selected dates. Due to the great demand for sightseeing tickets and charter flights, the shipping company decided to build a third zeppelin. One of the three airships is stationed outside of Friedrichshafen.
Sightseeing flights at Essen/Mülheim Airport
From spring 2024, the third Zeppelin will be stationed in the newly created airship and event hangar of West German Air Advertising Theodor Wüllenkemper (WDL), which will take over the sightseeing flight operations from the Häfler Zeppelin shipping company from Essen/Mülheim Airport.
According to the Zeppelin shipping company, Essen/Mülheim is an airship location with a long tradition. Since 1972, the WDL has been offering advertising and passenger flights with its own airships. When the Zeppelin from Lake Constance sets off on sightseeing flights from Essen/Mülheim Airport from 2024, the WDL airship Theo will only be used for advertising purposes.
Flight routes and highlights on the Rhine and Ruhr
Eckhard Breuer, Managing Director of the Zeppelin shipping company, sees Essen/Mülheim as an excellent location for a tourist airship. Conveniently located and with highly interesting flight routes. They are looking forward to showing people “the sightseeing highlights on the Rhine and Ruhr from a Zeppelin perspective”.
Contract signing ceremony in Friedrichshafen (from left): Eckhard Breuer (Zeppelin shipping company), Frank Peylo (Managing Director WDL), Barbara Majerus (Managing Director WDL) and Michael Schieschke (Zeppelin shipping company.) | Image: Michael Häfner
The contract for hangar use and Zeppelin stationing was signed on September 15th as part of the ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the Zeppelin NT.
