TurboJET

This article is about the Hong Kong based ferry company. For the type of jet engine, see Turbojet.

TurboJET

File:Logo-TurboJET.png
Company type	Private company
Industry	Ferry services
Founded	1999
Headquarters	Hong Kong
Website	http://www.turbojet.com.hk/

TurboJET
TurboJET's Universal MK 2006 TriCat (in old livery) at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	信德中旅船務管理有限公司：噴射飛航
Transcriptions
Portuguese name
Portuguese	[Shun Tak China Travel - Companhia de Gestão de Embarcações, Limitada: TurboJET] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
English name
English	Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited: TurboJET

TurboJET's Urzela JetFoil

TurboJET's Universal MK 2001 TriCat

TurboJET's Universal MK 2011 Austal 48m

TurboJET's Universal MK I Flying Cat

TurboJET's Barca Foilcat

TurboJET's Santa Maria JetFoil (in old livery)

TurboJET's Barca Foilcat

TurboJET (Chinese: 噴射飛航) is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong-headquartered Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (信德中旅船務管理有限公司), which was established from the joint venture between Shun Tak Holdings Limited (信德集團有限公司) and China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited (香港中旅國際投資有限公司) in July 1999. It operates hydrofoil ferry services in southern China.

Shun Tak and China Travel had their own separate ferry business brands before merging together as TurboJET, on 1 July, 1999. They were Far East Jetfoil (遠東噴射船) by Shun Tak, and Turbo Cat (港澳飛航船) by CTS Parkview Company Ltd.

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 and it operates 24 hours a day. It takes 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 are now operated under the TurboJET brand.

Fleet

TurboJET is the world's largest operator of Boeing's Jetfoils, and all used to belong to former Far East Jetfoil. Far East Jetfoil also used PS-30 and FoilCat. Whereas former Turbo Cat used FlyingCat 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 : 35m 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 Norwegian specialists Kvaerner Fjellstrand, Norway.

• FlyingCat : 40m length, 479 tonnes, 303 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 16V 396 diesel engines, rated at 2000kW each. Cruising speed at 35 knots. Built by Norwegian specialists Kvaerner Fjellstrand, Norway.

• TriCat : 45m 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 2001-2008 only (Note:Universal MK 2009 and 2010 are built by Pequot river of the USA). Besides, universal MK 2001-2005 are installed with 2 shorter chimneys at the back while universal MK 2006-2010 are installed with 2 higher chimneys at the back of the vessels.

• JetFoil: 24.44m length, 267 tonnes, 225/240/243 passengers monohull hydrofoil. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin Rolls Royce Allison 501KF gas turbines. Maximum speed at 45 knots. Built by Boeing.

• PS-30: 27.8m 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.

• Austal 48: 47.5m length, 610 tonnes, 418 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by quadruple MTU 16V 4000 diesel engines, rated at 2320kW each. Cruising speed at 43.5 knots, capable of 49 knots when empty. Built by Austal Shipyard of Australia.

Rented vessels

• Wavemaster SuperFast 39m: 39m length, 300 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 8V 396 diesel engines, rated at 1580kW each. Maximum speed at 36 knots. Built by Wavemaster International Proprietary Limited Company.
• Wavemaster SuperFast 42m: 42m length, 385 passengers catamaran. Propelled by waterjets powered by twin MTU 16V 396 diesel engines, rated at 1960kW each. Maximum speed at 48 knots. Built by Wavemaster International Proprietary Limited Company.
  • But these two vessels were returned at 12/2008.

Vessels information

TurboJET Fleet

Name	Type	Year Built	Seats	Builder	Notes
Acores(恆星,929-100-008)	Jetfoil	1975	262	Constructed by The Boeing Company	Sold to South Korea in 2004
Guia(東星,929-100-009)	Jetfoil	1976	262	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Terceira (錫星,929-115-012)	Jetfoil	1979	192	Constructed by The Boeing Company	2nd premier jetfoil since 8/2009
Horta(海皇星,929-115-016)	Jetfoil	1980	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Lilau(帝皇星,929-115-014)	Jetfoil	1979	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Funchal(天皇星,929-115-013)	Jetfoil	1979	190	Constructed by The Boeing Company	1st premier jetfoil since 2008
Taipa(帝后星,929-115-021)	Jetfoil	1981	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Cacilhas(幸運星,929-115-018)	Jetfoil	1981	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
São Jorge(銀星,929-100-006)	Jetfoil	1975	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Santa Maria(金星,929-100-005)	Jetfoil	1974	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Corvo(火星,929-100-003)	Jetfoil	1975	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company	Sold to South Korea in 2006
Pico(土星,929-100-004)	Jetfoil	1975	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Madeira(木星,929-100-002)	Jetfoil	1974	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Flores(水星,929-100-001)	Jetfoil	1974	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Urzela(鐵星,929-100-007)	Jetfoil	1976	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company
Ponta Delgada(銅星,929-100-008)	Jetfoil	1977	242	Constructed by The Boeing Company	Sold to South Korea in 2004
Balsa(北星)	PS-30	1994	242	Constructed by The Shanghai Simno Marine Limited
Praia(南星)	PS-30	1994	242	Constructed by The Shanghai Simno Marine Limited	Sold to South Korea in 2002
Penha(祥星)	Foilcat	1995	419	Constructed by Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard
Barca(日星)	Foilcat	1995	419	Constructed by Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard
Universal MK I (宇航壹號)	Flying Cat	1992	303	Constructed by Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard
Universal MK II (宇航貳號)	Flying Cat	1993	303	Constructed by Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard	Sold to Indonesia in 2010
Universal MK III (宇航叄號)	Flying Cat	1993	303	Constructed by Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard
Universal MK IV (宇航肆號)	Flying Cat	1994	303	Constructed by Kvaerner Fjellstrand Shipyard
Universal MK 2001 (宇航2001)	TriCat	1994	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2002 (宇航2002)	TriCat	1995	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2003 (宇航2003)	TriCat	1995	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2004 (宇航2004)	TriCat	1995	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2005 (宇航2005)	TriCat	1996	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2006 (宇航2006)	TriCat	1996	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2007 (宇航2007)	TriCat	1996	333	Constructed by FBM Marine Limited
Universal MK 2008 (宇航2008)	TriCat	1997	333	Constructed by FBM Aboitiz Shipyard, Philippines
Universal MK 2009 (宇航2009)	TriCat	1998	328	Constructed by Pequot River Shipwords, New London, CT, USA	Second Hand (joined in 2005) Painted in MGM Colors
Universal MK 2010 (宇航2010)	TriCat	1999	328	Constructed by Pequot River Shipwords, New London, CT, USA	Second Hand (joined in 2005)
Universal MK 2011 (宇航2011)	Austal 48m	2008	418	Constructed by Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)
Universal MK 2012 (宇航2012)	Austal 48m	2008	418	Constructed by Austal Shipyard	(Originally purchased by New World First Ferry)

External links

• The official web site of TurboJET
• OMC TurboJet engine Community & Forum
• BarcaFerry
• TurboJET Corporate Carbon Action Profile

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