It secures rights to distribute Zeppelins in Singapore and Malaysia
By
Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent
An artist's impression of a Zeppelin NT flying over the seas near Sentosa. The helium-powered is longer than an Airbus A380 and can seat up to 15 people. -- PHOTO: ZEPPELIN AIRSHIP WORLD
A SINGAPORE-based company has secured the exclusive rights to bring in Zeppelin airships - among the world's largest flying machines.
Zeppelin Airship World (ZAW), started by German permanent resident Armin Spenninger, has clinched a deal to 'assemble, operate, market and distribute' the new Zeppelin NT airships in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Zeppelin NT, measuring 75m tip to tip, is longer than an Airbus A380.
Zeppelins are used in Munich, Berlin, London, Paris, Cape Town, San Francisco, Tokyo and Rotterdam, mostly for sightseeing.
Mr Spenninger hopes to get the first one off the ground here by early-2011.
He has been in talks with various government agencies for about nine months now, and is looking at the option of setting up a hangar and offices in Johor's Iskandar economic zone, if he cannot find a suitable site here.
Because of its size, the Zeppelin requires a sizeable plot of at least 8ha from which to operate.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is helping ZAW secure the multitude of approvals here. But it said that much is still up in the air. STB director Jeannie Lim said: 'There are many considerations to be made in exploring the possibility of bringing the Zeppelin airship to Singapore.
'STB will continue to work with ZAW in facilitating project discussions among the relevant agencies.'
Approval and the availability of land are not the only challenges facing ZAW. It needs to raise around $100 million. This is for the airships, as well as for facilities, which will include two hangars, a visitor's lounge, offices and a museum.
Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
