Teruel Airport leads Europe in the new 21st-century airship industry

The Airport Consortium faces 2026 with the highest level of planned investment and annual budget in its history since its creation 20 years ago in 2006.

New lines of business are being established, and innovation in the aeronautical sector is being fostered, such as HAPS stratospheric aircraft, making it a pioneer in Europe. To this end, the construction of a hangar and production facility is underway, which will make Teruel Airport a unique infrastructure in Europe for the production of airships.

On March 11, 2025, the groundbreaking ceremony for the hangar and production facility took place. The project was awarded to the joint venture ALDESA CONSTRUCCIONES S.A. for €39,774,382.68 (excluding VAT). and INDUSTRIA DE INFRAESTRUCTURAS IDECONSA S.L., with a 20-month execution period, its completion is scheduled for the end of 2026.

This is a unique project, the only one of its kind in Europe, that will equip Teruel Airport with the capacity for stratospheric flights using HAPS-type airships flying at an altitude of approximately 20 km, thus achieving the characteristics of an astroport, that is, flights beyond the reach of current commercial aircraft. The project includes the manufacture, operation, and maintenance of these airships. We are not talking about reviving the past, but about developing a new generation of airships with 21st-century technology, which are more efficient and sustainable.

For the airport, this represents a significant leap forward. We've gone from being just an aeronautical space to a high-tech industrial platform, generating skilled jobs and attracting investment. Furthermore, a public-private investment of €160 million is planned for the next two years, along with a 50% increase in the 2026 budget compared to the previous year and a 48.64% increase in the number of operations in 2025 compared to 2024.

All of this demonstrates that Teruel can lead industrial projects with international reach, generating 1,000 direct jobs by the end of 2026 in companies located at the airport and more than 2,000 indirect jobs.

The hangar and production facility consists of a hangar area with capacity for an airship, a cargo reception area, and a production area. The hangar and building have a rectangular shape with approximate dimensions of 376.20 x 70.80 meters. It includes offices and workshops for assembly and maintenance along its sides. Its main axis runs east-west.

A launch platform for the airship is planned in front of the hangar's east facade. This platform has total dimensions of 300.00 x 220.00 meters.

The complex will allow for the manufacture, assembly, launch, operation, and maintenance of high-altitude aircraft for services such as telecommunications and observation, elevating the airport to the role of an "astro-port." The facilities include offices and assembly and maintenance workshops along the sides of the building.

The company Sceye has expressed interest in the future hangar and production facility for its European operations base, HAPS. This high-tech company is headquartered in Switzerland and has its main operational base in Roswell, New Mexico (USA), where it has already conducted several stratospheric flights reaching altitudes of up to 20 km.

As part of its planning, it intends to create a plant for the manufacturing, assembly, launch, tracking, and control of airships (zeppelins or blimps, depending on the preferred terminology), which will fly at an altitude of 20,000 meters. It was also indicated that the base at Teruel Airport will be used to expand the production of these aircraft for Europe and Africa and will generate 135 direct jobs, plus 540 indirect jobs. If awarded the contract, the company plans to produce up to 40 airships per year.

Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 30 airships operating worldwide, with several projects in various stages of development for this technology. Teruel is preparing to become a center for the production and manufacturing of airships, enabling something fundamental: a real industrial base for this new industry in Europe. This represents a strategic leap for the airport and places the region at the forefront of sustainable technology with global reach.

This pioneering and unique infrastructure in Europe, classified as a stratoport, positions Teruel as a benchmark within this high-tech aerospace manufacturing sector, as there is currently no other facility in Europe with these technical specifications for airship production.