You’re standing at a stadium, looking up, and there it is. That giant, pillowy silver or blue whale floating 1,500 feet above the nosebleeds. It feels like they’re everywhere, right? Every Super Bowl, every major golf tournament, every big-city parade seems to have one.
But here’s the reality check: they are incredibly rare. Like, "less than thirty in the whole world" rare.
Honestly, when people ask how many active blimps are there, they usually expect a number in the hundreds. We see them on TV so often that we assume there’s a secret hangar in every state filled with these things. Nope. You’re more likely to run into a billionaire at the grocery store than to find a new blimp being built.
The Shocking Number: How Many Active Blimps Are There?
Right now, the consensus among aviation experts and fleet tracking data is that there are approximately 25 active blimps in existence.
✨ Don't miss: Finding the Best Scary Divider Transparent Free Options for Your Next Design Project
Wait. Let me clarify that.
Depending on how you define "active"—meaning inflated and capable of flying tomorrow—that number might even be closer to 15 or 20. Some are sitting in hangars waiting for a new advertising contract. Others are being used for spare parts.
To put that in perspective, there are more than 25,000 commercial planes flying around. There are thousands of private jets. There are even hundreds of "Goodyear Blimps" in our collective memory that don't actually exist anymore.
Why the count is so low
Blimps are basically giant, expensive dinosaurs. They are slow. They are hard to steer. They require a massive ground crew just to land safely. Most importantly, they are a nightmare to store. You can’t just tie a blimp to a fence and go get lunch. If the wind picks up, that blimp becomes a giant sail that will drag its mooring mast through a building.
✨ Don't miss: Apps That Come With iPhone: What Most People Get Wrong
The Goodyear "Blimp" Isn't Actually a Blimp
This is the part where I have to be a bit of a nerd. If you see a Goodyear ship today, you’re looking at a Zeppelin NT.
What’s the difference? A true blimp is just a big bag of gas. If you let the helium out, it collapses like a flat balloon. A Zeppelin (or semi-rigid airship) has a skeleton inside.
Goodyear retired their last "true" blimp, the Spirit of Innovation, back in 2017. Their current fleet consists of three ships in the US:
- Wingfoot One (Florida)
- Wingfoot Two (California)
- Wingfoot Three (Ohio)
There’s also a fourth one operating over in Europe. These new ships are faster and much easier to fly because they have swiveling engines, but technically, the "blimp" is a dying breed even at the company that made them famous.
Who Else Owns the Skies?
If Goodyear only has a handful, who owns the rest?
The biggest player you’ve never heard of is AirSign. They own a huge chunk of the world’s remaining actual blimps. If you see a blimp advertising MetLife, DirecTV, or a new movie, there’s a high probability it’s an AirSign ship. They bought out the Van Wagner Airship Group years ago and now manage the logistics for these floating billboards.
Then you have the innovators. LTA Research, backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, is currently testing the Pathfinder 1 in Silicon Valley. It’s a massive, high-tech airship that looks like it’s from a sci-fi movie. It’s part of a new wave of "heavy lift" ships designed for disaster relief rather than just selling insurance.
✨ Don't miss: What Year Was Facebook Introduced? The Real Story Behind the Blue Icon
Why Don't We Build More?
Basically, it’s a math problem.
- Helium is expensive. We’re talking "thousands of dollars just to top it off" expensive. Helium is a non-renewable resource, and the price fluctuates wildly.
- The "Hangar" Problem. You need a building the size of several football fields to keep a blimp safe from the sun and wind. Those buildings are rare and incredibly costly to maintain.
- Speed. A blimp tops out at maybe 50–70 mph. If there’s a 30 mph headwind, you’re basically hovering.
- Ground Crews. When a Cessna lands, the pilot walks away. When a blimp lands, you need 15 people on ropes to catch it.
The 2026 Outlook: Is the Number Growing?
Kinda. We are actually seeing a tiny bit of a "Lighter-Than-Air" renaissance.
Beyond the 25 or so advertising blimps, companies like Hybrid Air Vehicles (the Airlander 10) and LTA Research are building new generations of airships. These aren't just big balloons; they’re high-tech vehicles meant to carry cargo to remote areas where there are no roads.
So, while the classic advertising blimp is a rare bird, we might see the total number of airships climb back up into the 30s or 40s by the end of the decade.
Actionable Insights for Airship Fans
If you're obsessed with these floating giants, here’s how you can actually track them:
- Check the Tail Numbers: Most US-based blimps start with "N" followed by numbers and letters (like N3A for Wingfoot Three). You can plug these into sites like FlightAware to see where they are currently flying.
- Visit the Bases: The Goodyear bases in Pompano Beach (FL), Carson (CA), and Mogadore (OH) often have the ships visible from the road if they aren't out on tour.
- Look for Events: Blimps almost always follow the money. If there’s a major PGA tournament or a primetime NFL game, check the local FAA "Temporary Flight Restrictions." They often list the airships authorized to be in the area.
Knowing how many active blimps are there makes seeing one even more special. It’s not just a billboard; it’s one of the rarest vehicles on the planet. Next time you see one, take a second to realize you’re looking at something more exclusive than a Bugatti.
To stay updated on the fleet, you can follow the official Goodyear Blimp social accounts or check the AirSign website for their current "Tour Map" to see which cities are getting a visit this season.