Great Western Coffee Shop

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/26/airships-for-city-hops-could-cut-flyings-co2-emissions-by-90

What a brilliant idea!

I think they've been watching too much His Dark Materials.

The trouble is it's been a brilliant idea for several decades, without ever making the transition to "worthwhile innovation", let alone "part of the transport infrastructure". Or whatever it would be part of -  infrastructure doesn't sound right, does it?

I assume it will also rely on a supply of Helium which is a non-renewable resource required for supercooled magnets used in medical imaging, and regularly wasted on cheap novelty balloons.

Presumably once the helium's in the airship, it stays in, barring disasters.

But however wonderful it is as a technology, I wonder where the market is. They say 5h20 from Liverpool to Belfast. At the moment it's 8h by ferry and under an hour by plane. Flying costs from £50, according to a cursory search, and a foot passenger on the ferry pays £22. No word on how much the airship journey would cost but on time it's much closer to the ferry than conventional aircraft. Presumably it won't take vehicles though I guess freight versions could be developed but it's not going to take the same loads as a ferry, let alone cargo ship. I can't imagine there being enough people willing to take a ferry-speed journey at what will presumably be at least flight prices – unless air travel is made to pay seriously for its carbon (and other) emissions (in which case of course the ferry might have to as well).

The helium is not consumed as fuel is, but it will assuredly leak out and require periodic replenishment.
It is expensive and in limited supply.
Helium is produced very slowly deep underground by radioactive decay, Some natural gas wells contain a useful percentage of helium.
When the natural gas is gone, so for all practical purposes is the helium.

IN THEORY Helium could be extracted from the air, but the percentage of helium is minute and extraction therefore exceedingly costly.

Some helium could be saved by use of a hydrogen/helium mixture, with hydrogen present in the greatest safe proportion.

Looking forward to trying one out.  Presumably I can get a direct connection via battery train from Bishops Lydeard courtesy of Go-Op?

Maybe, eventually, but don't hold your breath whilst waiting for either an airship or a battery train.

Helium would also be a welcome by product of the emerging nuclear fusion technologies.  In the approximate words of Prof Brian Cox a few years ago...."unlimited party balloons" .