Hovertravel to run one vessel during major refurbishment

Summarised from Isle of Wight County Press's report · Updated 5 Nov, 18:10 · Archive

Hovertravel will operate with a single hovercraft from November until spring 2027 while its other vessel undergoes major refurbishment.

Hovertravel has announced that its Solent Flyer will be taken out of service from 9 November for an extensive upgrade programme expected to last until spring 2027. The refurbishment will focus on improving reliability, enhancing the onboard experience and refreshing the craft's appearance, both inside and out. During this period, Island Flyer will be solely responsible for maintaining scheduled passenger services between Ryde and Southsea.

Maintenance on Island Flyer will take place outside scheduled operating hours where possible to minimise disruption. Hovertravel's new winter timetable, which came into effect on Monday and runs until 31 March 2027, has been designed around operating with one vessel. It includes additional crossings during weekday commuter periods, with services generally operating hourly during the middle of the day.

If services are suspended, Hovertravel says contingency arrangements are in place to provide alternative transport options. Currently, tickets are accepted on Wightlink's FastCat between Ryde Pier Head and Portsmouth Harbour. Loretta Lale, head of marketing at Hovertravel, said the refurbishment programme will 'bring important long-term benefits to reliability and the experience' provided to customers, though operating with one craft 'will present some operational challenges'.

Read the report

• Hovertravel down to one hovercraft until spring as major refurbishment startsHovertravel to run one hovercraft between Ryde and Southsea, while Solent Flyer undergoes refurbishment until spring 2027.Isle of Wight County Press · 5 Nov, 16:38

In this story: Hovertravel · Solent Flyer · Island Flyer · Ryde · Southsea · Loretta Lale · Wightlink · Portsmouth

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log