Yes? [He says it as if he thinks it ought to have been obvious, though he does at least continue on shortly thereafter.] The precursor to what would become the modern ceruleum engine was only created some 60 or so years ago.

[Which is not to say that the field of magitek hadn't grown by leaps and bounds! But it's still very much a relatively new field.]

The taller ships are designed as mobile scouting platforms, able to cross a variety of terrain or make a difficult crossing by air should the terrain become genuinely impassable otherwise. The 'blimps' are the more commonly found commercial airships.