James Reed: all about business 35. Cargo without borders: How airships are about to connect the unreachable | Mark Dorey
Did you know that nearly half the planet still isn’t connected? In many places, getting essential supplies like medicine and food is not only costly, it’s nearly impossible. But what if we were standing on the edge of a breakthrough that could change all of that?
On this episode of All About Business, we're joined by Mark Dorey, co-founder and CEO of Straightline Aviation. A pioneering company building hybrid airships designed to deliver cargo to the most remote corners of the world.
No roads, no airports - no problems. It’s a bold mission with the power to reshape global logistics and unlock new possibilities for connection, commerce, and care.
Mark shares how he turned an ambitious idea into a real business, what to look for in the right business partner, and some of the great lessons he learned when working alongside Richard Branson.
01:42 Introduction
04:04 How Does an Airship Work?
06:55 Why the Early Popularity of Airships?
12:04 The Customer Benefits of Airships
19:06 Mark's Early Career
24:15 Changing Business Models
29:51 Future Scale
32:07 Learning from Richard Branson
34:35 Delegation and Accountability
44:49 Pros and Cons of Business Partners
47:17 Negotiating and Establishing Business Relationships
51:10 Business Opportunity Check List
52:43 Establishing Shared Vision and Trust
Links
Check out Straightline Aviation’s website:
Follow StraightlineAviation on LinkedIn:
All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at www.reed.com
This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk