![]() Now the company is carrying out test runs and plans to open its Helsinki-Tallinn route sometime next year. The takeoffs and landings were uncomfortable, but those issues have been addressed," Högman said. "There have been some problems with hydrodynamics. Sea Wolf Express said it had hoped to start offering rides across the Gulf this year, but those plans have been delayed by technical problems on the manufacturer's side and the company is uncertain when it will be able to open for business. Sea Wolf Express representatives with a company display. People will be able to move around during the voyage, except during departures and arrivals," Högman said. "Passengers will go to the terminal and board it just like they do when they travel by boat, but during the trip they'll sit in airplane seats. While the vehicle flies at extremely low altitude, the experience of boarding it is more like that of a traditional passenger ferry. "Hovercrafts use a motor to generate that cushion of air, but GEVs use high speed, instead," he said. Combined with its high speed, the wings help to give the vehicle lift, creating a cushion of air above the surface, Högman explained. ![]() Their wings make the vehicles look like planes, but they only reach an altitude of about two metres above the water. The technology behind GEVs is a combination of airplane, boat and hovercraft. "Compared to airplane travel, are much safer because they can't tumble down," Högman said. There aren't that many GEVs in commercial use in the world yet, but no major accidents have occurred in the ones that are in use," Högman said. "Unless you live in a utopia, you can't completely rule out the possibility of an accident. He said the vehicle will provide a safe way to get across the Gulf for travellers who want to do it quickly. The company's GEV can reach about 200kph, according to Sea Wolf Express CEO Ville Högman. Since Linda Line's catamaran service went out of business last year, the fastest ferries still take more than two hours, but a GEV can travel the same distance in about 30 minutes. Several large passenger ferries shuttle between the cities at all hours of the day and night. The sea route between Helsinki and Tallinn is very busy. Wilhelmson noted that when risk assessments are carried out, they need to be taken into consideration, particularly because of the speeds at which GEVs travel. Sea Wolf Express has yet to apply for the permits required to operate the GEV between Finland and Estonia, but when it does Wilhelmson said the firm needs to be able to prove the vehicle is at least as safe as other means of transport on the route. But Traficom unit chief, Max Wilhelmson, said the firm still has a considerable amount of planning to do, particularly regarding the vehicle's safety. So far, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom, has been positive about the company's efforts. The company said it aims to put its GEV into service next year, but plans hinge on approval from safety regulators. Estonian firm Sea Wolf Express is planning to offer travellers the chance to cross the Gulf of Finland in about 30 minutes aboard its 12-seater Russian-built ground effect vehicle (GEV).
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