Testing: The manufacturers will be hoping to avoid the safety problems which plagued early generations of zeppelins
It may seem flimsy compared to a metal jet, but the Aeroscraft has bulletproof skin, and even if its exterior is breached it does not deflate like a balloon.
The firm claims that its first airships will be available to customers in mid-2015, when they will be rented out for a year at a time.
A model of the zeppelin which carries 66 tonnes will cost more than $25million per year, while a 250-tonne version will be $55million.