HAV is in the midst of finding key suppliers, finalizing certifications and preparing to design the elements that "make the difference between a prototype and a product," according to McGlennan.

The announcement marks the end to a short and sometimes rough testing history for the 302-foot mix of airplane and airship. It flew just six times and was damaged during landing on its second flight. On another flight, the aircraft hurt a woman after it broke loose and automatically deflated its hull. However, the core functionality of Airlander 10 appeared to work as planned. As such, the work on a production model is more likely to focus on refinements and real-world use cases (such as cargo and passenger travel) than major overhauls.