WE HAVE lift off – a new hovercraft which will carry passengers across the Solent has hovered for the first time.

The vessel, one of a pair being built by Southampton-based Griffon Hoverwork for Hovertravel, rose from the asphalt for the first time this week.

It has been moved out of the engineering shed to have its propellers connected to the engines.

“The first hover for any hovercraft is a highly significant goal and everyone at Hovertravel and Griffon Hoverwork was delighted to be able to reach this major milestone in the build project,” explained Loretta Lale, Hovertravel’s commercial and marketing manager, “The next stage is to prepare the craft to undergo performance testing on the water.”

The two hovercraft, costing £5 million each, are due to go into service between Ryde and Southsea this summer.

They will replace two 30-year-old hovercraft – Freedom 90 and Island Express which, were also built by Griffon.

During three decades in service Island Express has clocked around 500,000 miles, the equivalent of travelling to the Moon and back.

The two new hovercraft will have slightly fewer seats than their predecessors, which had 95 and 90, but because they will more fuel efficient and therefore cheaper to run, Hovertravel hope to be able to offer a more frequent service to meet demand.

Disabled access will be improved – the new craft will have ramps rather than a lift – and the passengers will experience a quieter ride thanks to a better insulated cabin.

The first craft out of the shed has been inspected by both the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Lloyds Register.

Following their approval and the provision of a Permit to Operate and Trials Exemption Certificate, the craft can now be tested on the water.

Selina Kefford, marketing manager at Griffon Hoverwork, said: “As part of our trials/testing process, we will soon be measuring the performance of the craft on the water to ensure it meets with our manufacturing and design parameters.’’ Hovertravel is the only passenger hovercraft company in Britain and is also the world’s oldest hovercraft operator, having celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2015.