Hotel in the sky may become a reality

Aircruise

UK company, Seymourpowell has released a revolutionary new travel and transportation concept called Aircruise, which has been likened to a hotel in the sky.

Standing at 265 metres tall from base to tip, the Aircruise is powered by natural energy and it features penthouse apartments, stylish bars and an array of glass viewing floors.

The Jetson-esque hotel is capable of lifting 396 tonnes and has been designed for a maximum of 100 passengers.

Nick Talbot, design director at Seymourpowell, said the concept presents an alternative vision of the future, where 'slow is the new fast'.

"The Aircruise concept questions whether the future of luxury travel should be based around space-constrained, resource hungry, and all too often stressful airline travel, Mr Talbot said.

"A more serene transport experience will appeal to people looking for a more reflective journey, where the experience of travel itself is more important than getting from A to B quickly."

Lifted by hydrogen and powered by solar energy, the Aircruise concept would be both beneficial to travellers and economically friendly.

"The physics of the airship requires a gigantic volume of lifting gas, yet simultaneously demands a relatively limited amount of weight.

"This allows for a potentially large amount of space with relatively few people onboard - a luxury for any traveller," Mr Talbot said.

The company has designed a detailed technical specification for the project which it believes is "achievable".

It is been estimated that the Aircruise will have to the capability to travel from London to New York in approximately 37 hours with a cruising speed without tail or headwind of 100 to 150 km/h.

There will be six flight crew members and 14 support staff.