Hawaiian Airlines is strategically investing in an all-electric seaglider developed by Regent, which the company hopes to have the potential in carrying out quick island hopping.
(Photo : KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)
Washington, UNITED STATES: A Hawaiian Airlines jet taxies out to the runway at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona 14 February, 2006.
"Great Potential for Hawaii"
This Honolulu-based flight carrier said on Wednesday, May 11, that it is supporting the initial design of a 100-person craft called Monarch, it is considered a "wing-in-ground effect" vehicle that is set to enter the aviation industry in the next six years or by 2028.
Regent, a Boston-based startup, will build these seagliders as battery-powered and will serve as a hybrid of a ship and an airplane. These vehicles are expected to have the ability of cruising 5 to 30 ft above the waves in common; it will take flight on a cushion of air to keep the airplane aloft, or retain its "floor impact."
Hawaiian Airlines' chief marketing and communications officer Avi Mannis said that at the very core of their business since 1929, they have always sought for "innovative inter-island transportation '' after replacing steam ships with airplanes in their earlier years.
Mannis expressed excitement and optimism that their early investment in Regent would prove to be monumental in "developing their largest seaglider - a vehicle with great potential for Hawaii."
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"Game-changer for Sustainable Transportation"
Regent's chief executive Billy Thalheimer believes that their seagliders will be a "game-changer for sustainable regional transportation," especially in communities found in Hawaii.
In a statement reported by FlightGlobal, Thalheimer added that their close partnerships with strategic investors and other partners such as Hawaiian Airlines, will enable the company to "fully understand" their operators and "unlock their ability to provide zero-emission transportation solutions to their customers."
Additionally, Regent is already working on its very first craft called Viceroy. The vehicle will be due to begin its sea trials next year and possibly start its service in 2025. It will also be an all-electric craft but can only accommodate 12 passengers.
Viceroy will also have a 160 nm (296km) range that can travel across water in one of these three modes: hull, hydrofoil, and flight-in-ground-effect, as detailed by the company.
The seagliders will be traveling via ground-effect mode, which is a lift generated during an aircraft's close flight to the surface of the earth, consequently forcing air through the narrow space between the aircraft and the ground, and decreasing aerodynamic drag.
Regent is currently coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and working with the US Coast Guard for the certification of the craft as a maritime vehicle. The company said that a collaborative approach between these authorities will be "key to deploy seagliders at scale."
Regent also noted that Hawaiian Airlines will be their first US-based design partner for the Monarch.
Furthermore, the seaglider could be used as a replacement for the airline's 17-strong Boeing 717 fleet, which is responsible for carrying out island-hopping routes. However, Boeing is already aging, and the airline is seeking alternatives to replace them in the next decade.
Regent said that it has already raised $18 million in funding last February, with the help of Thiel Capital and investors such as Mesa Air Group. In fact, Mesa has agreed to a deal that it will purchase 200 seagliders.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
