A Weeksville airship manufacturer and a team of Japanese engineers have been putting their heads together these past three weeks on a project that could aid the new Homeland Security Department.

Partnering with the Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru cars and Boeing licensed helicopters, 11 FHI engineers joined Airship Management Services' team to work on development of unmanned airship telecommunication and surveillance operations.

The project could land the local firm a government contract for aiding in the fight against terrorism.

"We do more and more work for security surveillance particularly now after Sept. 11," said George A.R. Spyrou, president of Airship Management Services, who flew in last week from Airship Services' Connecticut headquarters.

Airship Services' main business has focused for the past 20 years on commercial airship advertising. But since Sept. 11, Spyrou said the company has worked closely on surveillance projects with the U.S. Navy, the New York Police Department counter terrorism division and the FBI. The company provided a Fuji airship for surveillance over New York several months ago.

Airship Services also is working with the U.S. Coast Guard, assisting them with their homeland defense responsibilities in port and during coastal surveillance.

Japanese engineers (l-r) Yoshinari Suzuki, Katsuhisa Hashimoto, Takao Miyazaki, TAkashi Matsumoto and Mitsuru Kono pose here in front of the Skyship 600 built by Airship Management Services of Elizabeth City. (Staff photo by Patrick Palladino)

Spyrou said the Weeksville plant is crucial in developing and manufacturing bigger airships that can carry 30 passengers and up to four tons of surveillance equipment.

Airship Services currently depends on in-house development, without government contracts.

"So far it's all from commercial sectors," Spyrou said. "But we are hopeful of working more closely with the federal government."

Airship Services and FHI also have in development airships used for telecommunications relay platforms. These platforms are similar to cellphone towers, but built for an altitude of up to 70,000 feet.

The company’s Japanese partners, Nissho Iwai, were instrumental in Airship Services' initial sale of their first advertising airships to Japanese Airlines in 1984. The partnership also included the 1989 airship sale to the Tokyo Police Department for surveillance purposes. Nissho’s relationship with Boeing led to the work with FHI.

The latest project together may have an additional positive impact on Airship Services and the area.

Having already doubled its Weeksville workforce to more than 15 people since the company's new 20,000 square-foot facility groundbreaking in April, Spyrou said he expects to double employees once again this year.

In comparison with CargoLifter AG, the bankrupt German airship maker, which two years ago considered building a mammoth manufacturing plant in Pasquotank County, Spyrou said his company was much more modest in its ambitions.

"We've been in the business for 20 years, and we are working with a proven market sector," Spyrou said. "We are earning revenues. We do not rely on investors. We rely on revenues from contracts."

Local economic developers were encouraged by Airship Services' newest developments.

"This is another example, how a company can take new technology to an old industry and continue to grow in the marketplace," said William Prince executive director of the Albemarle Economic Development Commission. "These are not only big flying billboards. They are instrumental in developing new technology and new uses for these airships. And they are steadily adding new jobs," Prince added.

Prince said CargoLifter and Airship Services were not comparable.

"CargoLifter really never came off the ground and was something completely off the chart," Prince said. "Airship Services is a low profile company. They don't do a lot of chest-beating and advertising about themselves. They are a real success story in our area for moving forward in the world of technology."