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TurboJET

Shun Tak–China Travel Ship Management Limited, doing business as TurboJET, is a ferry company based in Hong Kong. The company was established from the joint venture between Shun Tak Holdings and China Travel International Investment Hong Kong in July 1999.[1] It operates hydrofoil and high-speed ferry services between Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai in the Pearl River Delta area.

TurboJET is one of the two companies operating high-speed ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau – the other one being Cotai Water Jet. TurboJET uses the IATA two-letter airline code 8S only for routes to and from Hong Kong International Airport. For other routes, it uses other codes instead e.g. J0, J1, TP, etc., depending on the flight time and destination.

History

Shun Tak and China Travel had their own separate ferry business brands before merging as TurboJET on 1 July 1999. They were Far East Hydrofoil by Shun Tak, and Turbo Cat by CTS Parkview Company Ltd.

It acquired New Ferry – Transporte Marítimo de Passageiros Limitada (abbreviated New World First Ferry (Macau)) from NWS Holdings for HK$350 million on 11 August 2011,[2] and completed the transaction on 30 September.

Since the opening of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge in October 2018, passenger numbers have been falling sharply due to the direct competition. The ferry service was deemed too slow and expensive. Since 2019, TurboJET started gradually cutting frequencies adjusting to the passenger numbers with the anti-extradition bill protests in Hong Kong as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Routes

TurboJET provides services between Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport, Macau, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, all located around the Pearl River Delta in southern China. The route between Hong Kong and Macau is the busiest, taking approximately one hour to travel the 70 km journey on TurboJET's high-speed vessels.

In the past, besides the inter-city routes, Turbo Cat operated Hong Kong out-lying routes during the years 1999 to 2000. The routes were Central to Tuen Mun (on weekdays), and Central to Tai O (on weekends). After the merger, the routes were operated under the TurboJET brand.

Fleet

TurboJET was the world's largest operator of Boeing's Jetfoils; all used to belong to the former Far East Hydrofoil, which also used PS-30 and FoilCat. The former Turbo Cat used Flying Cat and TriCat.

TurboJET's fleet includes seven major types of vessels (and eight minor vessels), with one of the major types (and two minor types) rented from another company.

Bought vessels

  • FoilCat: 35 m length, 561 tonnes, 423 passengers catamaran hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin General Electric LM500 gas turbines. Maximum speed at 50 knots. Built by Kvaerner Fjellstrand of Norway.
  • Flying Cat: 40m length, 479 tonnes, 303/406 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 16V 396 diesel engines, rated at 2000 kW each. Cruising speed at 35 knots. Built by Kvaerner Fjellstrand of Norway for Universal MK I and Universal MK III, and Damen Shipyard of the Netherlands for Universal MK V. All three vessels are inactive as of 2025.
  • TriCat: 45 m length, 602 tonnes, 328/333 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Caterpillar Solar Taurus gas turbines. Cruising speed at 45 knots, capable of 52 knots when empty. Built by FBM Marine of the United Kingdom for Universal MK 2001–2007, FBM–Aboitiz Shipyard of the Philippines for Universal MK 2008, and Pequot River Shipworks of the United States for Universal MK 2009–2010. (Note: Universal MK 2001–2005 are installed with 2 shorter chimneys at the back of the vessels, while Universal MK 2006–2010 are installed with two higher chimneys.)
  • Jetfoil: 24.44 m length, 267 tonnes, 190/243 passengers monohull hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Rolls-Royce Allison 501KF gas turbines. Maximum speed at 45 knots. Built by the Boeing Company of the United States.
  • PS-30: 27.8 m length, 303 tonnes, 260 passengers Jetfoil-like monohull hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Rolls-Royce Allison 501KF gas turbines. Maximum speed at 45 knots. Built by Shanghai Simno Marine Limited under licenses from Boeing. (Note: This vessel is currently inactive as of September 2011.)
  • Austal 48m: 47.5 m length, 610 tonnes, 414/418 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by quadruple MTU 16V 4000 diesel engines, rated at 2320 kW each. Cruising speed at 43.5 knots, capable of 49 knots when empty. Built by Austal Shipyard of Australia.

Rented vessels (returned in December 2008)

  • Wavemaster SuperFast 39m: 39m length, 300 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 8V 396 diesel engines, rated at 1580 kW each. Maximum speed at 36 knots. Built by Wavemaster International Proprietary Limited Company of Australia.
  • Wavemaster SuperFast 42m: 42m length, 385 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 16V 396 diesel engines, rated at 1960 kW each. Maximum speed at 48 knots. Built by Wavemaster International Proprietary Limited Company of Australia.

Vessels information

External links

References

  1. TurboJET Shun Tak, retrieved 17 May 2016^
  2. Shun Tak–China Travel Shipping Investments Limited Acquiring First Ferry (Macau) 2011-08-11, retrieved 2023-05-27^
  3. Raymond Yeung. One hurt and hundreds left stranded in high-speed ferry crash off Hong Kong's Lantau Island South China Morning Post, 2016-08-28, retrieved 2023-05-27^
  4. Clifford Lo. Macau jetfoil passengers tell of 'crash like thunder' that left 87 injured South China Morning Post, 2013-11-29, retrieved 2023-05-27^