Seaglider routes connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai are expected to take just 30 minutes and cost each passenger Dh200 ($54), developers have said.
Made by US firm Regent Craft, the Viceroy Seaglider can carry up to 12 passengers and fly at a maximum 290kph.
It is on display at the Dubai Airshow and offered a glimpse of the rapidly expanding mobility services planned for the UAE.
As well as running passenger services around the world, recent demonstrations in the US showed the Seaglider’s capacity to carry out high-speed military missions and medical rescues.
With boats limited by speed and helicopters constrained by stability and availability, Seaglider vessels can fill a gap, its designers say.
The aircraft has a 1,500kg payload and can cover about 2,600 in its hybrid form before refuelling is required.
Billy Thalheimer, Regent co-founder and chief executive, told ARN news: "It operates in three modes: floating on the hull, rising above the water’s surface on hydrofoils and flying about 10 metres off the surface of the water.
“Regent has a massive global backlog for these Seagliders as they are low-emission, low-cost and high-speed modes of transport for coastlines all over the world." He added that "with so many customers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Europe" the plan was to build a production plant in the UAE, with Regent now in the process of choosing a site for a factory in the UAE to expand its global operations.
A joint venture with the Strategic Development Fund, which is owned by the Edge defence company, the plan is to bring production, maintenance and training to the UAE.
A US manufacturing plant is due to open in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, next May, with the first orders due to be completed by the end of 2027. The aim is to open a UAE factory by 2029.
Mr Thalheimer said there was already a queue of potential Seaglider customers in the UAE, so the craft "could be used here from as early as 2027”. He added: “I’m excited for the Dubai-to-Abu Dhabi mission, which would take under half an hour, for a price of Dh200-250 range.”
Hitching a ride with the Seaglider would be as easy as catching a ferry. The vehicles float, foil and fly using similar hydrofoil technology used by America’s Cup racing yachts.
Once it has built up enough speed, the craft rises from the surface to fly at low altitude to its destination.
The Seaglider can be also used for freight and cargo partnerships with Aramex and DHL have already been announced. Electric propulsion technology means the craft has relatively with low maintenance and operational costs.
Tom Huntley, general manager of Regent Defence and a former rescue helicopter pilot, said the craft had performed well in US sea trials.
“The Marine Corps challenged us with real-world scenarios and the Seaglider prototype performed exceptionally,” he said. “From rapid response and precision manoeuvring, to medical loading and transport, these demonstrations underscore how Seaglider vessels can help keep service members safe and get them to higher levels of care when they need it most.”
