REGENT opens DC office, expands Seaglider advisory board

North Kingstown, RI, July 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [email protected]

• REGENT opens Washington, D.C. office to work closely with stakeholders in the U.S. government.
• The DC office will support Seaglider’s marine certification and advance the company’s dual mission of sustainable coastal transportation and maritime defense operations.
• Steve Dickson, former airline executive and Federal Aviation Administration administrator, has joined the REGENT Advisory Board.
• Learn more about the REGENT path to certification here and the REGENT defense mission here.

North Kingstown, RI, July 25, 2024 – REGENT Craft, a manufacturer of all-electric seagliders for sustainable maritime mobility, today announced the opening of a new office in Washington, D.C. to work closely with stakeholders across the U.S. government. The office will support the seaglider certification process and advance the company’s dual-use mission for commercial maritime transportation and defense solutions.

“As REGENT continues to grow to fulfill our more than $9 billion global order book, expanding to DC was a natural next step,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT. “We look forward to working with key regulatory and defense stakeholders to ensure Seagliders provide safety, meet current and future national security needs, and contribute to life-saving missions.”

Seaglider Certification Trip

Steve Dickson, a former Air Force pilot and Delta Air Lines CEO who served as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from August 2019 to March 2022, has joined the REGENT Advisory Board, comprised of seasoned leaders who have decades of experience in the commercial, defense and regulatory sectors.

REGENT is currently undertaking a robust marine certification process that builds on established guidelines and follows existing paths in the U.S. and markets around the world to ensure passenger safety. Under U.S. law, wing-in-ground vessels, such as seagliders, that remain within one wing span above the water at all times, are defined as marine passenger vessels and regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard will oversee the seaglider certification process in the U.S., with technical input from the FAA.

“The recent FAA reauthorization bill passed by Congress created the framework for a joint marine certification process for Seagliders led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the FAA,” said Dickson. “I look forward to working with REGENT to develop a robust third-party certification process for the company and ensure the highest level of passenger and vessel safety.”

Seagliders for Defense Logistics

Seagliders address an unmet need for efficient transportation in maritime environments, providing capabilities for defense logistics resupply, cargo transportation, and search and rescue. The DC Office will accelerate REGENT’s work to demonstrate seaglider technology for defense logistics operations across the Department of Defense, including REGENT’s ongoing work with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.

“Seagliders are the ideal platform to equip warfighters in current and future maritime environments,” said Tom Huntley, vice president, government relations and defense, REGENT. “From navigating contested logistics to saving lives, Seagliders can provide increased efficiency to maritime defense operations and help deter future conflicts.”

Advantages for maritime defense operations include: ‍

• ‍High speed: Seagliders can fly up to 180 miles (300 km) at a speed of 180 mph (160 knots/300 km/h).‍
• High resistance: Seagliders take off and land on a hull, enabling operations in challenging environments without relying on vulnerable runway infrastructure. They can also be charged from shore or a ship, enabling a more resilient and robust energy supply chain. ‍
• Low signature: Seagliders always stay within one wing span of the water surface, meaning they operate below radar and above sonar. They also have low heat and infrared emissions from the Seaglider’s electric propulsion system, providing low-signal operations. ‍
• Low price: Seagliders’ distributed, all-electric propulsion system has fewer moving parts, which means less maintenance and greater reliability. Seagliders’ operators are specially trained marine crews, which drastically reduces operator training time and costs.

REGENT growth

The DC office is REGENT’s second location, in addition to its Rhode Island headquarters. The new office will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to experience the Seaglider’s multi-mission capabilities and will feature a high-fidelity, full-scale Seaglider simulation environment where users can experience what it’s like to operate a Seaglider.

Since REGENT was founded in 2020, global demand for seagliders has skyrocketed, resulting in orders of over $9 billion across six continents. The company has grown to over 90 employees worldwide, with plans to create hundreds of jobs over the next few years.

About REGENT

REGENT is pioneering the future of sustainable maritime mobility through the development and production of all-electric seagliders. Seagliders are a new category of vehicle that combines the speed of an airplane with the comfort of a ship to provide affordable and efficient transportation solutions between coastal destinations.

REGENT’s flagship Seaglider, the Viceroy, is a 12-passenger vehicle that travels at 180 miles per hour to cover distances of up to 180 miles on a single charge. REGENT has secured more than 600 Seaglider orders valued at more than $9 billion from leading airline and ferry operators worldwide and has raised more than $90 million from investors including 8090 Industries, Founders Fund, Japan Airlines and Lockheed Martin Ventures.

Notes for editors

• Find out more about seagliders here
• Browse the REGENT website
• Discover the REGENT press kit
• Read the REGENT FAQs
• Follow REGENT on LinkedIn
• Follow REGENT on Instagram

• REGENT DC Office
• Steve Dickson