New partnership aims to bring electric seaplanes to Miami by 2030
Electric seaplane services for business trips, charters and tourism are planned for Miami and the wider Florida region by the end of the decade through a new partnership between UrbanLink and Norwegian amphibious aircraft developer Elfly.
The two companies have signed a soft order for 10 of Elfly’s electric amphibious seaplanes with options for 10 more. If realised, the order value could amount to nearly $200m.
UrbanLink, a US-based zero-emission mobility company backed by US airline entrepreneur Ed Wegel, is developing an integrated transport network across air, sea and ground, with initial hub cities including Miami, Los Angeles and San Juan.
The partnership was born following a connection with a mutual friend on UrbanLink’s board.
“We’ve been looking for seaplane OEMs because of the need here in Miami,” said Wegel. “For many years we had Chalk’s International Airlines flying Grumman Mallards. Seaplanes are deeply ingrained in Miami’s culture.
“Now we’re focused on coral reefs, emissions, noise pollution—zero emissions overall. As we learned more about Eric and his team, we realised this aircraft is a perfect fit for South Florida, the Caribbean and beyond.”
Eric Lithun, founder and CEO of Elfly Group, said: “UrbanLink represents exactly the kind of forward-leaning operator we want to partner with. Florida is a perfect starting point, with its extensive coastlines, islands and waterways. It is one of the best places in the world to unlock the full potential of electric seaplane travel.”
Elfly’s electric amphibious aircraft, known as Noemi, can take off and land on both water and runways. This unlocks access to coastlines, rivers, lakes and harbours while enabling regional connectivity with minimal infrastructure requirements.
“The fact that Noemi operates on land and water is critical,” said Wegel. “In Miami, the first US seaplane operation was at Dinner Key. We want to operate from there to Key West, Palm Beach, Bimini and eventually Tampa Bay.”
In the longer term, UrbanLink sees routes all the way from the Keys to Jacksonville on the east coast, and Naples to Pensacola on the west coast.
Cutting journey times, for example, from Miami to Key West from six hours by car to two or three hours by air, will be attractive to business travellers. However, Wegel is keen to stress the service isn’t luxury. “It’s practical transportation at competitive pricing,” he said.
“There are multiple markets. Operating costs allow us to compete effectively with Uber and Lyft—getting people out of cars for routes like Miami to Key West. We’re also talking to cruise lines—Royal Caribbean, MSC, Carnival, Norwegian—for passenger, staff and cargo transport to private islands.”
UrbanLink will operate both scheduled and on-demand services. Wegel said this will take the form of charters for groups and business travellers, plus scheduled services—maybe three or four flights a day initially.
With this agreement, Elfly has now secured soft orders for more than 70 Noemi aircraft across five continents. Soft orders are often dismissed in the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry as being worth as much as, if not less, than the paper on which they are written.
But for Elfly the decision was intentional. “All our orders are soft for now,” said Lithun. “I want to fly the full-scale prototype and prove performance before taking deposits. Once we prove profitability and operations, demand will follow. I want to save the world with black numbers, not red ones.”
Elfly’s aircraft is progressing well, according to Lithun. The company flew a maiden test flight of its sub-scale model with a 4.5m wingspan in June 2025.
“We’ve tested it and matured the design, from wings to landing gear,” said Lithun. “We also hired a chief engineer who started January 1st. He’s had two successful first flights on previous programs. More will be announced soon.
“We’re also now looking for additional investors to fund the first full-scale flight. Cash is important, but knowledge is equally valuable.”
