Seaglider pioneer REGENT on April 14 2023 unveiled the full-scale mock-up of its human carrying seaglider prototype–slated for flight testing in 2024–as well as announced plans to expand its global headquarters in Rhode Island to include up to 600,000 square feet of new manufacturing and test facilities to begin fulfilling UD8 billion in commercial orders by mid-decade.
“REGENT seagliders are a new category of maritime vehicle that combine the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat,” said a company press release. “These all-electric, zero-emission vessels operate exclusively over water and leverage existing dock infrastructure to carry people and goods up to 180 miles with current battery technology.
“Following successful flights of the company’s ¼ scale prototype last year, the mock-up represents a key next step in the build journey for REGENT that will enable customers to begin interfacing with the full-scale vehicle design and think about the passenger experience. The company also announced today it has tapped EP Systems and MAGicALL as key vendors for the batteries and motors that will power the prototype’s all-electric distributed propulsion system.”
“This mock-up along with the announcement of our plans to build new state-of-the-art facilities showcases our growth trajectory and our commitment to begin production as soon as possible,” said REGENT co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer. “Our studies, based on publicly validated data, show that our seagliders serve an $11 billion market that we project to swell to as much as $25 billion as battery technology advances. The $8 billion in orders our company has already received from a variety of companies around the world reflect the need for fast, reliable, and sustainable maritime transportation.”
The company reports it has already procured over USD50 million in funding since its launch just two years ago. In the past few months, REGENT has announced the appointment of aerospace veterans David Neeleman, co-founder of Breeze Airways, JetBlue, and Azul Airlines, and Dennis Muilenburg, former CEO of The Boeing Company, to its Board of Advisors; announced strategic investments from Japan Airlines, Lockheed Martin, and Japan’s Yamato Holdings, and continued to build its order book to more than 500 seagliders from a swath of companies including Brittany Ferries, FRS (Germany), Mesa Airlines, Ocean Flyer (New Zealand), and Mokulele Airlines.
REGENT also confirmed that Southern Airways/Mokulele Airlines will receive the first commercial passenger seagliders once they hit the market, promising to increase their commitment to serving coastal and island residents around the globe.
“Since shortly after our founding, Southern Airways has been working toward the day when all of our flying would be green,” said Stan Little, chairman and CEO of Southern Airways. “During that time, we’ve been approached by dozens of companies seeking our participation in their efforts, as well. It wasn’t until we saw the work being done by REGENT that we decided to commit to a vehicle outside our current fleet. The seaglider is truly transformative, and Southern Airways is incredibly proud to be the launch customer through our Mokulele brand.”
REGENT expects its first commercial Viceroy seagliders to enter service by mid-decade and reports it has already obtained $8 billion in orders from major airlines and leading ferry operators in five continents.
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