Mexico’s Economy Ministry announced a memorandum with French-Canadian airship maker Flying Whales that could bring up to US$300 million in investment. The document isn’t a binding contract, construction permit or published account of what Mexico may provide in return. It names 300 local jobs and three manufacturing bases, but doesn’t identify a location or establish that the bases will be built.
A pledge, not a build-out
Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard signed the memorandum in Mexico City on Friday, Oct. 9, after meeting company president Sébastien Bougon. The ministry said the plan also includes a pilot school and a Latin American sales office. The full text hasn’t been published, and the source of the possible investment remains unclear: it could come from the company, its shareholders or local partners.
The memorandum records shared intent. It doesn’t commit Flying Whales to spend the full amount, nor does it commit Mexico to provide tax incentives, land or airspace rules. The report said those possible terms remain unclear. Investment pledges announced in Mexico may later change in size or timing; whether the company builds a first base will test this one.
No state or city has been identified for the two to three operating bases Bougon said the company is considering. He said they’d provide wide coverage. The plan describes local employment, but doesn’t specify where the jobs would be or when hiring might begin. It also doesn’t state any effect on Mexico’s population or migration.
The technology still faces approval
Flying Whales is developing the LCA60T, an airship designed to carry heavy loads to places without roads. The company’s website lists it at 200 metres long and 50 metres in diameter, with a 60-tonne payload lifted using about 180,000 cubic metres of helium. Its cargo hold is 96 metres long, and larger loads could hang beneath the aircraft on slings. The listed top speed is 100 kilometres an hour.
The company says the airship could move industrial-plant parts, wind turbines and high-voltage power towers without a runway, port or highway. Mexico’s energy and mining sites can lie in mountains or far from good roads, while wind blades and transformer parts often need special convoys, road closures and police escorts. No flights in Mexico have been scheduled.
Flying Whales says helium lift uses less energy and cuts CO2 emissions. Its planned electric propulsion system relies on hydrogen fuel cells, which the company hasn’t yet fielded. The company lists ground and flight tests, certification and the start of operations as future steps on its website. The report couldn’t confirm that the LCA60T had flown. Strong winds can limit airship operations, and Mexico’s aviation regulator would have to approve them; no application had been reported.
Trade pressure and unanswered terms
Mexico is courting foreign factories ahead of the 2027 review of the USMCA trade pact among the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Office of the US Trade Representative had opened public comment on the joint review. The announcement also came as Washington pressed Mexico on trade, energy and security. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government was described as keen to show steady investment; she met the U.S. ambassador and American business leaders on Oct. 8.
The pact has also seen continuing labour disputes, according to the report. The memorandum doesn’t state how the airship project relates to those disputes or set out any sovereignty transfer. It leaves key terms undisclosed while Mexico courts investment under the trade framework. The proposed jobs, bases and remote-area service remain plans, not confirmed operations.