Goodyear To Launch New Airship.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced it plans to launch a new airship in the spring of 2006 to be deployed to its Pompano Beach, Florida operation.

The new airship has been in production for the past two years as a previously scheduled 2006 replacement for the Stars & Stripes, which has operated in Florida since 1992.

Goodyear’s two other U.S.-based airships, the Spirit of Goodyear, located near Akron, and the Carson, California-based Spirit of America, recently were in New York City to support the company’s meeting with financial analysts and investors.

As part of that meeting, with the airships hovering over the Manhattan skyline carrying hurricane relief support messages, Goodyear Chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan opened the meeting referring to the airships overhead as highly visible evidence of the company’s stepped up efforts to become a more market-driven company.

Jon Rich, president of the North American Tire business said the announcement of the new airship is further commitment to that market-driven direction.

“The Goodyear blimps are celebrating their 80th anniversary as a company and American icon, and are a key part of our marketing strategy,” said Rich.

“Our customers love the blimps. When you think of Goodyear, you think of tires, blimps and racing. We will continue to take advantage of our differentiated products and marketing tools to become competitively advantaged.”