Chinese AS700 airship sets new record with 621‑mile flight

Constructed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the AS700 airship completed its first interprovincial flight. It covered a distance of 621 miles, making it the first Chinese airship capable of operating over such a long distance.

The AS700 took off from an airport in Jingmen, Hubei province, flew over the neighboring Hunan province (with two intermediate landings at local airports), and arrived in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang region in southern China.

According to Chinese media, the AS700 now holds the record for the longest flight in the history of Chinese manned airships, both in terms of time spent in the air (breaking the 10-hour barrier) and distance traveled.

The total flight time was 12 hours and 44 minutes. During this time, the AS700 operated at altitudes ranging from 1,640 to 6,529 feet.

The AS700 is a passenger airship with a cabin designed to carry up to 10 people, including the pilot. It uses vector control technology to take off and land even in hard-to-reach places.

According to AVIC, this airship's maximum takeoff weight is 9,149 pounds. Its creators claim it can serve multiple purposes, from air tours (the main task of the AS700) to emergency rescue operations and meteorological and geophysical research.

Completed tests bring the AS700 closer to being put into service. This is planned for the end of this year, preceded by the final phase of testing focused mainly on the cabin equipment rather than flight parameters. AVIC intends to produce a dozen or so of these airships in total.

Information published by CNN in 2023 indicated that China made significant strides in the airship construction program. Journalists cited a 2018 Rand Corporation report on China's modern warfare strategy, noting that such aircraft are attractive not only for the tourism sector but also for developing structures providing intelligence data.