This probably seems like a very vague question, but what are the consequences of such an invention upon world transportation? As much as the OTL airships? Or something much bigger? Its just that I would like to inquire as I plan to introduce wider airship travel in my collaborative TL.
I don't really know. I would imagine bigger than OTL, because you could have steam lifted airships somewhat sooner IMO (no need for discovering hydrogen and how to produce it). Also, if something like the Hindenburg disaster happened, people wouldn't blame it on the lift gas, they would have found and fixed the problem with the flammable coating, and unlike OTL, where just about everyone was turned off from flying in airships by the disaster, people would be reassured knowing that they were not flying around in what were perceived to be giant bags of explosive gas.
They'd probably exist, if nothing else than as a luxury form of travel like cruise ships, to the modern day.