Hovercraft-like vessel AirFish to ply S'pore-Batam route later this year

The AirFish, a hovercraft-like vessel that skims over water, is set to start taking passengers from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore to Batam from the second half of 2026.

- Esther Loi

Unveiling this at a ceremony on the first day of the Singapore Airshow on Feb 3, homegrown technology and engineering group ST Engineering said ST Engineering AirX will enter a strategic partnership with ferry operator BatamFast to run the service.

ST Engineering AirX is a joint venture between the group and Singapore-based startup Peluca.

BatamFast now operates 18 trips from Tanah Merah and HarbourFront ferry terminals in Singapore to Batam in Indonesia every day.

It will lease and operate an Air Fish Voyager craft to ply the route.

Operations between Singapore and Batam are expected to start in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, said ST Engineering.

It added that ST Engineering AirX and BatamFast will also explore opportunities to expand to new destinations across Southeast Asia.

Mr Chua Choon Leng, general manager of BatamFast, told reporters at the unveiling event that it will take 25 minutes for the AirFish to reach Batam from Singapore, quicker than the 45 minutes for a typical journey by ferry.