Electric ‘Flying Boat’ Lands $5 Billion in Orders

REGENT is building electric seagliders that merge the best of boats and planes, operating on a cushion of air over the water known as ground effect. CEO Billy Thalheimer explains how this innovative technology allows for super-efficient, silent travel at speeds up to 180 MPH, overcoming traditional limitations of electric aviation. Discover how seagliders are poised to transform regional travel, coastal logistics, and even military missions with $5 billion in orders already secured.

REGENT, a Rhode Island-based startup building battery-electric “seagliders,” has accumulated $5 billion in orders for a craft that operates in three modes — float, foil, and fly — and is regulated as a maritime vessel rather than an aircraft. The order book spans ferry operators, airlines, oil-and-gas companies, and luxury travel customers, with first commercial deliveries targeted for late 2027 or early 2028, CEO and co-founder Billy Thalheimer said in a recent interview.

The distinction matters for logistics: because seagliders stay within one wingspan of the water surface at all times, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization classify them as wing-in-ground craft, putting the U.S. Coast Guard — not the FAA — in the primary certification seat. That regulatory path, Thalheimer argues, is faster and better suited to the vehicle’s operating environment than traditional aviation certification.

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