North Kingstown, R.I., April 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- REGENT, the company pioneering all-electric seagliders for sustainable maritime transportation, announced today it has named Dennis Muilenburg, former CEO of The Boeing Company, and David Neeleman, co-founder of Breeze Airways, JetBlue, and Azul Airlines, to its Board of Advisors. The executives bring a broad set of aerospace technology and business development expertise to REGENT as the company enters its next phase of growth.
“Dennis and David bring decades of combined experience in technology development, global manufacturing and distribution, and commercial operations that will be invaluable as REGENT looks ahead to delivering our first Viceroy seagliders by mid-decade,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT. “They have managed through all the hard parts of developing, deploying, and operating cutting-edge technology around the planet before. Their support underscores the significant market enthusiasm we’ve seen from our customers around the world that sustainable transportation—specifically in the form of our seagliders—is the future.”
“I’ve spent my career enabling new, easier, more accessible ways for people to travel, and REGENT seagliders fill an urgent need for fast and sustainable coastal transportation,” said Neeleman. “It is critical for the manufacturer to have the interests and concerns of the operator top-of-mind, and that is exactly the voice I will bring to REGENT leadership. I’m thrilled to join REGENT at this crucial juncture and lend my expertise in helping to bring seagliders to customers and passengers around the world.”
"Throughout my 38 years of aerospace experience delivering capabilities for customers, the winning combination has been a product and technology whose value is clearly transformative, with a realistic plan to go from ideation to production readiness. That's what I see at REGENT,” said Muilenburg. “Scaling global distribution and support of aerospace technologies is not easy, but I am supremely confident in this team. REGENT has already begun establishing the manufacturing capabilities and supply chain partnerships that will give them the robust ability to scale global production and deliver on their backlog, safely and effectively.”
REGENT seagliders are a new category of maritime vehicle that combines the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat. These all-electric, zero-emission vessels operate exclusively over water and leverage existing dock infrastructure to carry people and goods up to 180 miles with existing battery technology, at 180 miles per hour between coastal destinations.
The company has received orders for more than 400 seagliders worth $8 billion from airline and ferry operators around the world, as well as strategic investments from companies including Lockheed Martin, Japan Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines. REGENT has raised more than $50 million to date from investors including Thiel Capital, Y Combinator, Founders Fund, and Mark Cuban.
About REGENT
REGENT is leading the way in sustainable maritime transportation. Using cutting-edge technology and innovative design, REGENT has created a new category of vehicle that is fast, efficient, and emission-free. REGENT’s seagliders combine the speed of an airplane with the maneuverability of a boat and travel exclusively over water between ports while utilizing existing dock infrastructure. Seagliders can be seamlessly integrated into any fleet and REGENT has already obtained $8 billion in orders from major airlines and leading ferry operators on 5 continents. For more information, visit regentcraft.com.
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