From the San Fran Chronicle: Airship Ventures, the Mountain View company that took passengers on joy rides in what it billed as the world's largest passenger airship, the Zeppelin Eureka, is closing, the firm said Thursday.
Company officials said they would cease operations out of Moffett Field immediately and plan to provide refunds to customers who have already booked flights.
Founded in 2007, Airship Ventures focused on taking passengers "flightseeing" in the Eureka, a Zeppelin NT (new technology) built in Friedrichshafen, Germany. There are only two like it in the world - here and in Germany.
"There's still a one- to two-week window for a white-knight corporate sponsor" to step forward, said CEO Brian Hall, adding that for $5 million to $6 million, a company could tack its logo on the side of the Zeppelin for one year. "It is with a very heavy heart that we've come to this point."
But the lack of a long-term sponsor and a world helium shortage - the gas is used to lift the airship off the ground - put the kibosh on the company, Hall said. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Airship-Ventures-ends-operations-4041288.php#ixzz2CMNdBA29
This would have been cool to see or ride in but not at $375 to $950 a ride.
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