Goodyear Blimp returns to European skies from new base

“A new era” began at Mülheim/Essen Airport in Germany towards the end of last week with the launch of the new Goodyear Blimp/Zeppelin season from a new location. Zeppelin NT, hangar operator WDL Group, and the tyre maker, represented by Frank Titz, Goodyear’s general manager of replacement consumer sales in the DACH (Germany, Austria & Switzerland) region, invited media and local dignitaries to welcome the airship and inaugurate the first flights over the Ruhr region.

On site, Titz elaborated on the values that connect goodyear and the Zeppelin NT (Newest Technology), namely “innovation, discovery, performance, and the inspiration to constantly develop ourselves.” Titz added: “With this in mind, we are pleased about the beginning of a new era today in this impressive hangar here in Mülheim. When our famous brand icon now flies over the densely populated Ruhr area, its visibility will be even greater.”

Century-long partnership

Goodyear has a century-long partnership with Zeppelin that began in 1923 with the founding of the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation. They collaborated on the development of military and civil airships. Although the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation was dissolved in December 1940, Goodyear revived its relationship with Zeppelin in 2011 when the tyre maker announced its intention to replace the previous generation Blimp fleet with the Zeppelin Airship Model NT LZ N07-101. The first of these models was built in 2014 in Akron, Ohio, where Goodyear is headquartered, followed by others in 2016 and 2018.

The Goodyear Blimp that began operating in Europe last week is a Goodyear-brand Zeppelin NT airship operated by the Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei.

In June, the Goodyear Blimp will accompany one of Europe’s most important endurance races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. According to Goodyear, 2024 will be its “biggest year” in endurance racing since returning to European motorsport in 2020, as it is now the exclusive supplier of the newly introduced LMGT3 category. “Endurance racing is not only an opportunity to showcase our technology and expertise, but also provides an invaluable test bed for the development of the next generation of our UUHP road tyres,” concludes Titz.