'Flying ferries' could soon be used on Portsmouth's cross-Channel route

Flying ferries called Seagliders could cut journey times from Portsmouth to France from around five hours by conventional ferry to just 40 minutes.

Brittany Ferries is collaborating with Boston-based start-up Regent Craft on the plan and say the battery-powered craft could be operating on the English Channel as soon as 2028.

The craft are part ship, part plane and fully electric.

They ride on a cushion of air trapped between a wing and a surface, akin to a hovercraft. The technology is called wing-in-ground effect and it is very efficient. With a top speed of 180 mph, minimal power is needed to move hundreds of passengers at high speed.

The two companies acknowledge technical and regulatory challenges ahead, but say that these shouldn’t be a barrier to developing a promising, sustainable technology.

Brittany Ferries is advising Regent on practical issues involved in running a fast-craft, thanks to its experience with fast craft such as Normandie Express.

“Seagliders are an attractive and exciting concept,” said Frédéric Pouget, ports and operations director for Brittany Ferries.

“We are particularly pleased to contribute now because it means we can bring real-world challenges and potential applications into the company’s early thinking.

"We hope this may help bring commercial success in the years that follow. Who knows; this could well be the birth of ferries that fly across the Channel.”

Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of Regent, added “We are excited to partner with Brittany Ferries to bring the future of maritime transportation to market.

"Brittany Ferries offers world-class operational experience which will help us ensure that seagliders will be the most convenient and comfortable form of cross-Channel travel.”