First delivery customer for this humongous 50-passenger all-electric seaglider has been confirmed
- Regent is launching its new Seaglider: the Monarch
- It will seat up to 100 passengers
- The first delivery will take place in a few years
Published on Nov 01, 2024 at 9:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Nov 05, 2024 at 12:44 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
The Monarch Seaglider by Regent is set to take to the water in the next few years.
Seagliders are gaining popularity for their sustainability credentials.
Aesthetically they’re pretty cool and futuristic, too.
Regent’s Viceroy Seaglider seats a reasonable 12 people, but the Monarch will be able to carry an impressive 50 to 100.
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The rise of the Seaglider
Regent first announced its Viceroy Seaglider in 2022, declaring it an electric seaplane designed to ‘float, foil, and fly’ at speeds of up to 290km/h (180mph).
These vehicles are an aircraft-boat hybrid, and their electric propulsion means they produce zero emissions.
They use hydrofoil technology, rising on the foil to take off and retracting it once in the air.
Similar to the BMW hydrofoil boat, able to fly just above the water.
Because it’s a hybrid, it features both flight software and boat controls.
And because it’s all-electric, maritime transportation operators all over the world are keen to use this zero-emissions vehicle to transport passengers.
Make room for the Monarch
The Viceroy can carry 12 passengers 180 miles on a single charge.
Now the Monarch is set to overshadow its older sibling, able to carry 50 to 100 people at a time.
It will also reach speeds of 225km/h (140mph) and have a 644-kilometer (400-mile) range.
Regent has shared that it will only be delivering Monarchs near the end of the decade, but has already secured over 600 orders.
That’s an estimate of $9 billion in sales already.
The first delivery will be to United Marine Egypt (UME), which has previously placed orders for the Viceroy too.
Both Monarchs and Viceroys will operate within UME’s network in the Red Sea.
Even though these will be used as a form of public transport, the interior of these Seagliders is luxurious.
With ergonomic chairs, desks to work at, and entertainment screens, we can’t imagine a ticket to ride one of these will be cheap.
Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
