Photo taken on March 30 shows the AS700 "Xiangyun" airship. (Photo: Hubei Daily / Mei Chunyan)

China's first self-developed civil airship, the AS700 "Xiangyun", completed a 180-kilometer-round flight between Jingmen and Jingzhou in Hubei Province on March 30.

Developed by the Hubei-based Special Vehicle Research Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the AS700 airship can carry up to 10 people on board, including the pilot. It has a maximum take-off weight of 4,150 kilograms, a longest flight range of 700 kilometers, a maximum endurance of 10 hours, and a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour. 

In December 2023, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued an airship type certificate for the AS700. (en.hubei.gov.cn）