SINGAPORE: ST Engineering announced on Tuesday (February 3) that an air voyager craft will be launched for the ferry route between Singapore and Batam, Indonesia, with operations expected to begin by the second half of this year.
The regional ferry operator BatamFast will lease and operate the AirFish Voyager wing-in-ground craft to ply the ferry route. The craft can seat 10 people: eight passengers and two crew members.
The AirFish Voyager, the first of its kind for the Singapore-Batam route, is a hovercraft-like craft.
A video of the AirFish showed it flying low, just a few meters over the surface of the water. ST Engineering AirX says it does this by harnessing the aerodynamic ground effect.
The AirFish Voyager is suitable for inter-island connectivity, tourism, premium travel, and time-critical mobility. Reports say that the target market for this route is resort goers headed to Batam.
Its main advantage is speed, which can go up to 100 knots or around 185 km/h and is comparable to light aircraft. Importantly, the craft can travel as much as three times faster than traditional ferries.
A journey from Singapore to Batam on the AirFish Voyager may take only 30 minutes. Travel times can take much longer, depending on the ferry terminal in Singapore and the destination terminal in Batam.
ST Engineering AirX, a joint venture of ST Engineering’s Commercial Aerospace business, said that it shares a commitment with BatamFast to position wing-in-ground technology as a next-generation maritime mobility solution in this region.
However, it appears that the Singapore-Batam route is only the beginning, as the two companies are looking at opportunities to grow their operations in other destinations across Southeast Asia.
According to Chua Choon Leng, the General Manager of BatamFast. “The launch of this innovative craft underscores BatamFast’s commitment to faster, more efficient, and more memorable travel experiences, solidifying our position as Asia’s leading fast ferry operator and extending our reach and impact across coastal communities and beyond.”
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Lam, the President Commercial Aerospace for ST Engineering, said, “By partnering with leading operators in the maritime travel industry, we are laying the foundation for Wing-in-Ground technology to become a new, high-speed mobility solution for the region. Together with our partners, we look forward to accelerating the adoption of this innovative craft and transforming how coastal and regional communities connect.” /TISG
