Solent Flyer hovercraft out of service until spring for major upgrade
Only one craft will cover the Portsmouth to Isle of Wight route
One of the hovercraft that services the Portsmouth to Isle of Wight route is undergoing a major upgrade.
The Solent Flyer will be out of service until next spring, as it undergoes a refit to refresh the craft’s appearance and improve reliability.
The work will be done at Griffon Marine’s specialist facility in Portchester. The other hovercraft on the route, Island Flyer, will also receive maintenance care, but will still operate the scheduled passenger service.
Hovertravel, the company that owns the hovercrafts, said: “We understand just how important our service is to you, particularly for those who depend on Hovertravel every day for work, education and other essential journeys.
“We want to provide you with clear reassurance that Hovertravel remains fully committed to maintaining our scheduled services throughout the refurbishment programme.
“Throughout the refurbishment programme, our operational and engineering teams will continue working to support the reliability of Island Flyer and maintain our published timetable.”
The hovercraft is operating on its winter timetable, designed for the use of a single hovercraft during the maintenance works, as well as for customer demand. Services operate hourly during the morning, with slightly more frequent services during the afternoon.
The last scheduled services are:
- Ryde to Southsea: 18:30
- Southsea to Ryde: 18:45
This timetable will remain in place until the end of March 2027.