Advertisers like the stately progress of their flying billboards. The latter will also have the great advantage of allowing flight at a constant load. One problem with present fuel systems is the gross change in buoyancy as fuel is consumed and the need to make up for this, for example, by recovering water from the engine exhaust. They will significantly reduce the number of ground crew used at take-off and landing. The use of strong, lightweight plastics for the hull might well herald the design of a large monocoque rigid airship with the resulting advantages of robustness and speed.
Airships are a safe, attractive and economic proposition.
They do not rival aeroplanes and helicopters, but fulfil entirely different roles, filling in the gaps left by these more conventional aircraft.