Gliding between archipelagos
Twelve corporate and community organisations have just launched the Hawaiʻi Seaglider Initiative (HSI), which aims to increase understanding and adoption of seagliders in Hawai’i with a focus on community, culture, and the environment.
Seagliders would operate exclusively 9 to 18 m above the water's surface at speeds up to 290 km/h, reducing the time and cost of transporting people and freight between coastal communities. The all-electric vessels operate by floating on a hull before transitioning to wave-tolerant underwater hydrofoils.
In 2024, HSI will continue to develop the socioeconomic and technical feasibility of establishing an inter-island and intra-island seaglider network. HSI member Mokulele Airlines expects to be the world's first operator of seagliders by the middle of the decade. (ah)