Tropic Island Airways signs LOI with Tidal Flight for Polaris hybrid seaplanes

Tropic Island Airways signs LOI with Tidal Flight for Polaris hybrid seaplanes

Tidal Flight, a Virginia-based aerospace company in the process of designing a hybrid-electric seaplane it has named ‘Polaris’, has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Florida-based Tropic Ocean Airways. The agreement, announced on February 11, 2025, during the Future Opportunities for Seaplanes and Amphibious Aviation 2025 (FOSAA25) conference in Miami, Florida, would see Tropic Ocean Airways introduce up to 20 Polaris seaplanes to its fleet with a potential total value of over $100 million.

Tropic Ocean Airways is a major seaplane airline based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was founded in 2009 by a former US Navy fighter pilot, Rob Ceravolo. The carrier operates private charter services, scheduled flights, and yacht transfers throughout Florida, the Bahamas, and the Northeast US. The airline has a current fleet of 14 aircraft – a mix of wheeled and amphibious (seaplanes) Cessna 208 Grand Caravans which it operates with an FAA-certified two-pilot crew.

Founded by entrepreneurs Jude Augustine, Pranav Krishnamurthy, and Mark Lau,  Tidal Flight is developing its Polaris hybrid aircraft. According to the company, Polaris is a modern, clean-sheet, hybrid-electric seaplane that can carry 9 to 12 passengers with baggage and is capable of landing on both waterways and runways.