Airship network Flying Whales signs up Mount Isa as first base to revolutionise freight transport

A 200-metre-long piloted airship transporting freight could be flying over Australian skies as soon as 2028, beginning in North West Queensland. The consortium of more than 50 partners, including the French and Canadian governments, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mount Isa City Council to establish the first of six Australian bases. Flying Whales CEO Sébastien Bougon said the technology could help solve some of the problems around transporting large infrastructure including cost, carbon emissions, and logistics. Mr Bougon said the outback city of Mount Isa was ideal for the first base as it would allow the airship to service projects from Queensland's south-east into the Northern Territory, creating 100 permanent local jobs once fully operational. Sky-high solutions Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae said the partnership would create confidence for the mining town, which is preparing for the closure of Glencore's underground copper mine in mid-2025.