A mobile hospital designed to travel by airship is being developed for remote parts of Canada, with Northern Quebec the first region where the concept will be assessed.
FLYING CARE is based on the LCA60T, a 200-metre rigid airship developed by FLYING WHALES, a Franco-Quebec aeronautical company developing heavy-lift airship technology. The aircraft is designed to carry up to 60 tonnes and hover while loading or unloading, reducing the need for extensive ground infrastructure.
The hospital would operate as a modular, energy self-sufficient clinical facility transported to isolated communities and deployed on the ground. FLYING WHALES says potential services include dental, ophthalmology and paediatric care, advanced diagnostics, prevention of non-communicable diseases and surgical procedures.
Designing a hospital that can travel
FLYING CARE is being studied as healthcare infrastructure that can move between locations.
Current work covers the facility’s architecture, medical systems, modular configuration, resilience and the operating arrangements required to provide recurring preventive, diagnostic and curative care.
The LCA60T measures 200m long and 50m in diameter. Its cargo hold is 96m long, with an 8m x 7m cross-section, while oversized loads can also be carried externally beneath the airship.
The aircraft is designed for extreme cold and for areas with limited heavy-transport infrastructure. Northern Quebec will be the first Canadian region used to examine how the hospital could operate under those conditions.
The FLYING CARE programme predates the Canadian partnership. FLYING WHALES says a study partnership began in 2021 and was formalised in March 2022, involving specialists in engineering, hospital technology, mobile laboratories, healthcare and medical consultancy.
Figurr joins Canadian development
Figurr Architects Collective, a Canadian architecture practice with experience in aviation and complex operational environments, has partnered with FLYING WHALES on the Canadian development of FLYING CARE.
Figurr will contribute to the Canadian business plan, identify priority use cases and support market development in Quebec and elsewhere in the country. The practice’s aviation work and experience with Indigenous communities will also be used as the partners examine local health systems, operating conditions, culture and community needs.
The partnership follows Figurr’s recent work on advanced air mobility infrastructure in Canada. In a separate concept published in September 2026, the practice explored modular aviation buildings ranging from 550ft2 facilities to a 14,000ft2 configuration with passenger areas, maintenance space, landing and loading pads and ground transport connections.
“FLYING CARE asks a compelling question: how can healthcare infrastructure reach communities when distance and limited ground access are major constraints?” said Rick Rubin, architect and partner at Figurr Architects Collective.
“This partnership brings together complementary expertise to explore a practical Canadian response.”
Northern Quebec to shape the Canadian model
The first phase will focus on Northern Quebec before the work extends to other parts of Canada.
The partners will assess where the mobile hospital could supplement existing healthcare services, particularly in regions where distance, climate and limited infrastructure restrict access to specialist care.
“Canada’s geography makes it a natural setting to explore FLYING CARE,” said Vincent Guibout, CEO of FLYING WHALES Quebec. “Our partnership with Figurr will help us adapt to Canadian realities and deliver long-lasting value.”
What is learned in Northern Quebec will be used as the partners continue work on the hospital’s architecture, medical systems, modular configuration and operating model.
Photos: FLYING WHALES
