<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Zeppelin Airship cumming to Singapore</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD>It secures rights to distribute Zeppelins in Singapore and Malaysia </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent
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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
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->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.
So far, says Mr Spenninger, ZAW has investments of around $10 million.
But even if ZAW ends up in Johor, he still intends to offer flights in Singapore on a daily basis, provided all the security and airspace concerns can be addressed.
Rides on the Zeppelin NT, which can seat up to 15, will not be cheap. Mr Spenninger estimates a price of $350-$400 per person for a 30-minute flight.
He is banking on the 'high-rollers' expected to visit the two integrated resorts here, high-end tourists, well-heeled residents, and corporate clients.
He is also hoping to interest customers in advertising, with more than 20,000 sq ft of surface area on the airship.
The 42-year-old entrepreneur's father and grandfather grew up in Friedrichshafen, the German city where Ferdinand von Zeppelin's first flying machine took to the skies more than 100 years ago.
It operated transatlantic flights until the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, which pretty much killed off the era of the airship.
But today's airships are much safer, using non-flammable helium instead of hydrogen.
ZAW plans eventually to assemble and supply airships to the region, with China being the biggest market.
[email protected]
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD>It secures rights to distribute Zeppelins in Singapore and Malaysia </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
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
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->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.
So far, says Mr Spenninger, ZAW has investments of around $10 million.
But even if ZAW ends up in Johor, he still intends to offer flights in Singapore on a daily basis, provided all the security and airspace concerns can be addressed.
Rides on the Zeppelin NT, which can seat up to 15, will not be cheap. Mr Spenninger estimates a price of $350-$400 per person for a 30-minute flight.
He is banking on the 'high-rollers' expected to visit the two integrated resorts here, high-end tourists, well-heeled residents, and corporate clients.
He is also hoping to interest customers in advertising, with more than 20,000 sq ft of surface area on the airship.
The 42-year-old entrepreneur's father and grandfather grew up in Friedrichshafen, the German city where Ferdinand von Zeppelin's first flying machine took to the skies more than 100 years ago.
It operated transatlantic flights until the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, which pretty much killed off the era of the airship.
But today's airships are much safer, using non-flammable helium instead of hydrogen.
ZAW plans eventually to assemble and supply airships to the region, with China being the biggest market.
[email protected]
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