VIDEO: Austal launches the high-speed trimaran ferry Queen Beetle

The launch of Austal Hull 396 for JR Kyushu Beetle of Japan from Austal's Henderson South shipbuilding facility in April 2020.

VIDEO: Austal launches the high-speed trimaran ferry Queen Beetle

A next generation 83 metre trimaran ferry for JR Kyushu of Japan, designed and built by Austal at its shipyard in Western Australia, the Queen Beetle was launched on 24 April 2020 and will soon be in service between South Korea and Japan.

The Austal Passenger Express 83 trimaran, with a capacity for 502 passengers and an operational speed of 37 knots, will service JR Kyushu Jet Ferry’s key strategic route between Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea. The vessel will feature a very high quality customised interior, developed by respected Japanese design house, Don Design Associates, led by Mr Eiji Mitooka, famous for the luxuriously appointed interiors of JR Kyushu’s high-end passenger trains.

The 83 metre 'Passenger Express 83' high-speed trimaran ferry will operate between Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea, can transport 502 passengers at speeds of 37 knots. The vessel features a customised interior, developed by respected Japanese design house, Don Design Associates, famous for the luxuriously appointed interiors of JR Kyushu’s high-end passenger trains.