Future of Flying Whales’ Canadian Partnership Put into a Holding Pattern

After already investing $75 million, Quebec has paused any further provincial funding to the Flying Whales airship project.

An agreement in principle that would have seen Flying Whales airships lift off into Canadian skies hit turbulence this spring, as the province of Quebec declined to proceed with the next round of funding. The partnership had laid the foundation for the assembly, testing, and launching of future airships.

The aircraft are billed as ‘flying cranes’ and designed for the movement of large loads, such as transmission towers, wind turbine parts, and machinery. Up to now, the French company has been working through the stages of environmental, technical, regulatory and financial studies — steps deemed necessary before construction of the facility can begin.

Flying Whales has recently crossed several challenging milestones on the path to producing the innovative dirigibles, setting a 2027 timeline to begin construction of its first working prototypes.

Sherbrooke Project Put On Hold
In a statement to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Quebec’s Economic Minister Bernard Drainville said the province had declined to participate in the current round of funding. The decision comes after the Canadian province had already put more than $75 million into Flying Whales, funding that flowed through Investissement Québec.

The rationale from the province is that the risk vs. benefit scale is no longer in the province’s favor. Drainville explained the reversal to CBC News by saying, “The financial requirements remain very high, and the direct economic benefits for Quebec are limited.”

The Canadian funds stem from 2019 and 2022 investments, under then-Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon. Drainville said the province’s responsibility is to invest in projects where the payoff lands in Quebec, and that a further investment in Flying Whales would mostly benefit interests outside the province.

Sherbrooke Mayor Marie-Claude Bibeau told CBC’s Daybreak the province’s decision wasn’t surprising, since the funding round in question would have gone toward a plant in France rather than Quebec. She said the door remains open for Quebec to invest once the company is ready to build there, and that she has met with Premier Christine Fréchette’s team to look for a path forward.

What is at Stake
The Sherbrooke location was intended to anchor North American production of the airship, but the decision announced by Drainville does not necessarily declare the end of hope for a Flying Whales Canadian base. The government’s office said it remains a shareholder, and that they continue to monitor the project’s progress.

Messaging from Flying Whales is not as optimistic towards a favorable outcome for a Canadian final assembly site, however. Flying Whales CEO and Flying Whales Quebec president Vincent Guibout said the development program would continue, and that the company would have an airship flying soon, but that Quebec’s decision will delay the manufacturing line and Quebec-based production, calling that outcome “a shame.”

Guibout added that if Quebec isn’t interested in the project, he sees no reason to place a final assembly line there. Original forecasting estimated that the project would create 300 jobs in the Cookshire-Eaton area of Quebec, with Flying Whales planning to build a 50-hectare (123-acre) manufacturing plant and assembly base at the Sherbrooke Airport as an assembly plant to construct their giant LCA60T cargo airships.

Construction for the Sherbrooke location was originally penciled in to start in 2027, with airship production in 2028, and commercial flights by 2029. Canada is not the only location that Flying Whales had been planning to assemble the airships, though, with additional locations secured in both France and India.

Envisioning The Future of Heavy-Lift Airships
The LCA60T is a rigid airship built around an internal structural framework, rather than relying on internal gas pressure to hold its shape. At roughly 656 feet (200m) long and 164 feet (50 m) in diameter, the helium-filled aircraft is designed to carry oversized or heavy cargo up to 60 metric tons.

There are other companies constructing lighter-than-air platforms, but the concept behind airships such as the LCA60T is slightly different. Rather than focus on surveillance purposes or carrying passengers, the Flying Whales concept is designed is engineered to transport large amounts of cargo into locations that lack roads, ports, or airports.

Financing For France-Based Production Continues Moving Forward
Even as Quebec steps back, Flying Whales appears closer to meeting its financial goals for its operations in France. According to La Tribune, the airship company recently announced that it had secured €105 million as a first tranche of funding toward a total goal of €150 million for its French operations.

Flying Whales has also shared that they have five new French investors partnering with the company, with hopes to raise another €55 million in funding before the end of 2026.

The bulk of financing is tied to the company’s planned factory in Laruscade, in France’s Gironde department. Site preparation is expected to begin in September, and the project has already received environmental authorization back in December 2025—but with some remaining hurdles to cross. The environmental group Sepanso Gironde continues to challenge the project in court over concerns regarding possible impact on local wetlands.

The Continued Wait for Heavy-Lift Airships
With timelines drawing closer, Flying Whales still has yet to produce a flying prototype of the LCA60T, and the company’s timeline has drawn some skepticism in France as well as Quebec. As the company works toward certification, airship advocates remain hopeful that a heavy-lift aircraft from Flying Whales will grace the skies soon.

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