Hawaiian Airlines, which currently flies inter-island passengers high in the sky is looking to invest in a project that might fly them barely above the waves from island to island.
The “seaglider” developer REGENT (Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport) says that Hawaiian Airlines made a major investment in the company, to help develop craft that would transport up to 100 passengers from dock to dock, traveling just above the water’s surface.
The glider, with a potential speed of about 180 mph isn’t a replacement for airline service, Hawaiian told a reporter from ThePointsGuy site, but might be a supplement. The current inter-island route map serves over 130 flights a day.
The planned craft is a new category; not truly a seaplane, and not truly a boat. As planned, it would float away from the dock with its hull in the water on low power. Once clear of the ‘no-wake’ zone, it would rise on its retractable hydrofoil and speed to its destination.
