JAKARTA - AirFish, a wing-in-ground (WiGE) technology marine vehicle, will be a new transportation alternative connecting the Singapore and Batam routes starting in the second half of this year.
This vehicle is designed to travel quickly above sea level so that travel time can be cut more. According to the Head of the Batam City Tourism Office, Ardiwinata, the journey for this cross-country route can be completed in almost 25 minutes.
"In terms of concept, this is very supportive because the journey can be taken in almost 25 minutes with a capacity of around 8-10 passengers. So it's not mass transportation," said Ardiwinata, quoted from a review on Tuesday, February 9.
The use of AirFish as an operational vehicle was first announced by ST Engineering AirX together with the BatamFast ferry operator. This major plan was announced at the 2026 Singapore Airshow held from February 3 to 8.
The two companies have partnered to provide more efficient transportation services for business travelers. Currently, the management is focusing on completing all regulatory licensing processes and international safety certification.
Ardiwinata explained that discussions regarding the use of sea transportation had begun since 2022. In the initial discussion, AirFish was referred to as a sea plane. Even though the name is different, the two are still the same.
"Actually it's been a long time, there have been discussions in the Batam City Government, BP Batam, and also to the Ministry of Transportation," he said. "Maybe the type is different. This sea plane is the latest transportation that can travel at high speed and is floating on the water."
AirFish will serve routes from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore to Batam. It is not yet known which pier will be the place of AirFish's stop in Batam, but Ardiwinata said that the construction of a special pier is not complicated to prepare.
BatamFast will rent and operate one unit of AirFish. The company said that the AirFish tariff will be higher than the regular ferry, especially the difference in travel time which reaches 20 minutes.
The tariff has not been specified. However, BatamFast revealed that this service will target a special segment, especially tourists who need luxury transportation or entrepreneurs who need fast vehicles.
Although sophisticated, the presence of AirFish is predicted not to disrupt the continuity of the conventional ferry shipping company's business. Batam's rapid economic growth is considered to still provide ample room for various types of transportation.
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