Palfinger Marine is delivering 24 tenders, 12 lifeboats, 36 davits and six rescue boat stations to a number of ships being built at STX France, and on April 20, marked a huge milestone with a boarding test of the new 440-passenger lifeboat it has developed.

Measuring an impressive 15.5 m in length and 5.5 m in width, the new design lifeboat has a capacity of massive 440 people and a boarding time of just 10 minutes.

The company completed a test with 200 employees and 240 local volunteers, aged 15 to 80. The lifeboat is the first in the world with seating on two decks, with four entrances. 

The lifeboat was boarded in a “record time” of five minutes and 21 seconds, the company said, in a prepared release.