It’s Not a Boat or a Plane — But It Flies and Navigates? The Flying Boat Arriving to Revolutionize Transportation in the Amazon With More Economy, Agility, and Less Pollution

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 22/09/2025 at 14:03

Imagem: Divulgação / Aeroriver

11 pessoas reagiram a isso.

Aeroriver Startup Presents The Volitan, Flying Boat That Combines Agility, Low Cost, And Lower Pollution To Transform Mobility In The Amazon

One of the highlights of the São Paulo Boat Show 2025 is the Volitan, a vehicle that mixes a boat and an airplane. The innovation, presented by the Aeroriver startup, could transform the way people and goods travel in the Amazon, offering speed, savings, and lower environmental impact.

How The Flying Boat Works

The Volitan is regulated as a boat. It has a hull similar to that of a speedboat, which allows it to take off and land directly on the water. The upper part resembles an aircraft, with a closed cabin, wings, and two propellers.

The startup explains that the vehicle flies between 2 and 5 meters above the surface. The cruising speed reaches 150 km/h, three times faster than conventional speedboats.

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Transport Capacity

The proposal is not limited to passengers. There will be versions for up to 10 people, which may include residents, tourists, doctors, security officials, and researchers.

In other situations, the same space will be occupied by up to 1 ton of cargo, serving local industries and merchants.

This flexibility is highlighted as a differential because traditional river transport takes longer and has higher operating costs.

The flying boat takes advantage of the natural infrastructure of rivers without the need for extensive construction.

Comparison With Other Means

A clear example is the Manaus–Parintins route, which is 417 km long. The boat trip takes about 10 hours. With the Volitan, that time drops to just 3 hours.

Cost savings are also evident: R$ 25.57 in fuel per passenger compared to R$ 28.57 for speedboats.

Moreover, the environmental impact is lower. While the speedboat emits 42 kg of CO² per person, the flying boat releases 36 kg.

When compared to airplanes, the advantage becomes even clearer. A traditional aircraft takes 1 hour and 10 minutes for the journey, but the cost rises to R$ 40.98 per passenger, and emissions reach 58 kg of CO².

Sustainability And Range

The Volitan uses diesel and has a range of 450 km. Aeroriver emphasizes that this range meets a large part of the most used routes in the Amazon region.

Hence, the idea is for it to become a practical solution for both short trips and medium-distance travel.

Another important point is that the vehicle does not depend on complex ports or runways. Just the river is needed. This reduces logistical barriers and facilitates access to places where riverside communities often remain isolated.

Next Steps For The Flying Boat

Aeroriver has already confirmed that in 2026 it plans to start manufacturing a larger version. The model will have an expanded capacity for 10 passengers, in addition to more cargo space.

The estimated price is R$ 3 million, according to an interview with Folha de S.Paulo.

The startup believes that this innovation will serve different audiences. From those looking for faster transportation to companies that need agility in distribution.

The combination of savings, speed, and lower pollution reinforces the appeal of the flying boat.

In this way, the Volitan emerges as a promise of revolution for Amazonian mobility, uniting technology, sustainability, and practicality in a single vehicle.

Information from TecMundo.

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Getúlio Carvalho Jr

#177963

23/09/2025 22:45

Trata-se de um ecranoplano. Não entendi a novidade.

Responder

Carlos Sergio santos de andrade

#177854

23/09/2025 19:00

Ficaria ótimo, uma empresa explorar aqui em Salvador Ba, ligando a ilha de Itaparica, ao bairro da Ribeira, onde tem o antigo hidroporto! Linda aeronave!

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Ivan Alves de Almeida

#177636

23/09/2025 11:26

Isso é uma revolução na era de transporte aquaviário,

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It’s Not a Boat or a Plane — But It Flies and Navigates? The Flying Boat Arriving to Revolutionize Transportation in the Amazon With More Economy, Agility, and Less Pollution

Aeroriver Startup Presents The Volitan, Flying Boat That Combines Agility, Low Cost, And Lower Pollution To Transform Mobility In The Amazon

How The Flying Boat Works

Transport Capacity

Comparison With Other Means

Sustainability And Range

Next Steps For The Flying Boat

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It’s Not a Boat or a Plane — But It Flies and Navigates? The Flying Boat Arriving to Revolutionize Transportation in the Amazon With More Economy, Agility, and Less Pollution

Aeroriver Startup Presents The Volitan, Flying Boat That Combines Agility, Low Cost, And Lower Pollution To Transform Mobility In The Amazon

How The Flying Boat Works

Transport Capacity

Comparison With Other Means

Sustainability And Range

Next Steps For The Flying Boat

On the Greek island of Ithaca, archaeologists have found what may be a sanctuary dedicated to the legendary Odysseus, with inscriptions bearing his name and votive offerings that span from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic era.

Scientists enter a narrow, flooded cave 500 meters deep and find giant dinosaur footprints on the ceiling measuring up to 1.25 meters, preserved in such a rare way that a new type of trace had to be created.

After two years of internal discussions, Paraguay has finally regulated the law that opens the country to foreign technology and service companies with tax incentives that promise to create thousands of jobs and change the economy.

Map reveals how the Earth may look in 250 million years: continents will reunite in the Last Pangaea, 92% of the planet could become uninhabitable for mammals, and Spain appears among the rare possible exceptions.

Why fighter pilots never return after ejecting: the seat launches the body at 600 km/h in 1 second, compresses the spine, reduces G tolerance, and leads to medical disqualification, not punishment.

With 1,000 buses sent abroad, the Brazilian manufacturer consolidates the strength of national technology and takes on a leading role in public transportation across all of Latin America.

A giant half-ton ring fell in Kenya from space, and more than a year later, scientists still do not know where it came from.

The Moon has essential rare earth minerals for 99% of the electronics you use in your daily life and a future fuel that is almost nonexistent on Earth: now the race to explore the satellite has turned into a global competition among more than 70 countries.

Scientists reveal an impossible artifact for its time made with iron from space, and the discovery reignites a historical debate about the Bronze Age in China.

The humanoid robot G1 has gained a new digital brain that has transformed it into a true domestic worker: it learns by observing the environment, interprets objectives, and executes complete tasks without receiving step-by-step instructions.

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The factory shows how PHC piles and precast tubes are made; steel turns into a welded cage, high-strength concrete enters the mold, spins in centrifugation, cures in steam, and is ready in hours.