ST Engineering AirX makes debut of Airfish Voyager craft in Asia

AirFish Voyager in flight. Source | ST Engineering AirX

ST Engineering AirX, a joint venture of ST Engineering’s (Singapore) Commercial Aerospace business, has brought its AirFish wing‑in‑ground (WIG) craft to market through two strategic partnerships with ferry operators in Southeast Asia and India.

Since 2024, ST Engineering AirX has been partnering with Bureau Veritas on the classification and certification of the AirFish WIG craft, which is expected to achieve classification by mid-2026. These new partnership will help accelerate the AirFish WIG’s commercial introduction and strengthen its position as a high-speed coastal and regional transport solution.

BatamFast Ferry Pte Ltd. (Singapore), a regional ferry operator, will lease and operate an AirFish Voyager — a 10-seater WIG craft — and introduce it to the ferry route between Singapore and Batam, Indonesia. Operations are expected to commence in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. ST Engineering AirX and BatamFast will also explore opportunities to expand operations to new destinations across Southeast Asia.

In another partnership, ST Engineering AirX will work with Wings Over Water Ferries (WOW) to bring the AirFish Voyager to India. WOW will lease and operate up to four AirFish Voyager craft starting in late 2026, with the commencement of operations subject to route approvals by the local authorities.

WOW’s initial deployment strategy will focus on high-demand coastal states and sectors with strong tourism, commuter and regional connectivity potential. Planned early operating regions include Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshdweep, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

In addition to deployment, ST Engineering AirX and WOW will explore establishing local assembly, manufacturing, training and maintenance capabilities for the Voyager in India — supporting India’s Make‑in‑India objectives and enabling scalability of WIG craft operations across coastal states with high potential demand.

A new category of high-speed, over-water transport

The AirFish Voyager is a WIG craft that glides a few meters above the water surface by harnessing the aerodynamic ground effect. Carbon fiber is used across the whole structure aside from some metallic interfaces.

The AirFish Voyager, which is currently being assembled in Singapore, can deliver:

Speeds up to 100 knots (~185 kilometers/hour), comparable to light aircraft.
Maritime‑class operations, without the need for landing and takeoff infrastructure.
Capacity for up to 10 passengers including crew.
Suitability for inter‑island connectivity, tourism, premium travel and time‑critical mobility.