UrbanLink Air Mobility, a South Florida-based air mobility company, has placed an order for 27 all-electric seagliders from REGENT Craft, a compatriot manufacturer of all-electric seagliders for sustainable maritime mobility, aiming to ‘advance’ multi-modal electric transportation ecosystems in coastal areas.
As informed, the seagliders were ordered to ‘augment’ existing transportation networks in Miami, Florida, and San Juan in Puerto Rico—a route that the vessels will regularly operate once they set sail sometime in 2027.
Under the agreement, UrbanLink will operate REGENT’s flagship Viceroy seagliders, 12-passenger vessels that can travel up to 180 miles on a single charge.
Seagliders are new type of maritime vessel that operate a few meters above the surface of the water by combining the higher speeds od a light aircraft with the low operating costs of a vessel.
REGENT’s all-electric seagliders are described as a type of vessels that cut down on the time and the cost of transporting both people and goods between coastal regions.
The hydrofoiling wing-in-ground (WIG) craft combines modern technology from a number of industries – including electric propulsion, hydrofoils, modern vehicle controls, and fly-by-wire systems. This is said to provide wave tolerance, safe operations, and passenger comfort.
As per REGENT, the advantages of seagliders do not end there. The company highlighted that since the vessels operate by leveraging existing dock infrastructure, they have the potential to minimize the need for new construction, making them a versatile addition to current transportation systems.
In addition to UrbanLink Air Mobility, several other maritime companies have expressed interest in REGENT’s seagliders.
MOL Switch, a US-based corporate venture capital firm that is part of Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), invested in REGENT Craft earlier this summer as part of a growing interest in seaglider technology in Japan.
Two years earlier, Germany’s ferry operator FRS signed an agreement with REGENT to add the U.S. manufacturer’s seagliders to its fleet.
The partnership was set for the construction and operating of two seaglider types—the Viceroys, which can hold up to 3,500 lbs of critical cargo in 746 cubic feet, and the Monarchs, which can carry up to 100 passengers.