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 people reacted to this.

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.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

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.

3 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Getúlio Carvalho Jr

#177963

23/09/2025 22:45

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

Respond

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!

Respond

Ivan Alves de Almeida

#177636

23/09/2025 11:26

Isso é uma revolução na era de transporte aquaviário,

Respond

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

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

China has deployed snake-shaped robots to slide along power lines, where they have already inspected over 130 kilometers of cables using cameras and sensors to detect damaged wires, worn-out parts, and overheating.

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