UrbanLink Air Mobility has just placed orders for up to 20 Eviation eVTOL aircraft, and for 27 Regent seagliders for coastal operations around south Florida and Puerto Rico.

The start of hardware and systems integration follows rigorous testing of subsystems and successful operations of a quarter-scale prototype. Sea trials with humans on board will begin later this year.

Regent successfully proved seaglider tech with its quarter-scale prototype in 2022 in float, foil and fly modes. Testing of a manned full-scale prototype will begin later this year, with the first flight planned for early 2025.