The long-awaited seaplane operations are expected to commence within two months. The preparations undertaken by a private operator for flying to Lakshadweep are in final stages.
The operator had been waiting for DGCA certifications and clearances. The procedures were in final stage, a top representative of the Kerala-based company told The Hindu . “It is hoped that the service could be started by January-end or February,” he said.
Amphibian aircraft
The company, Seabird Seaplane Private Limited, had flown in a brand new amphibian aircraft, a Quest Kodiak 100, with a seating capacity of 10 persons including pilot, from the U.S. in October 2015. Eight seats will be available for passengers. One more aircraft is being added to the fleet. The company plans to commence operations in the Kochi-Lakshadweep route which has a high tourist traffic. The flights will be of 1 hour and 35 minutes duration. The flight will land at Kavaratti and Minicoy.
Other destinations
Other destinations planned by the operator are Bengaluru, Bekal, Kadavu, Kumarakom, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram. The flights can land either on waterbodies or at airports and airstrips. Landing on water has been planned at Kumarakom and Kollam. Kadavu is on the banks of the Chaliyar river in Malabar. Apart from carrying tourists, the flights could be chartered or utilised for evacuation purposes in times of emergency, company sources said.
Alappuzha, one of the initial itineraries selected by the government, has not been included in the initial stage as the waterdrome has not been built there. The original plan to build the waterdrome at Punnamada was opposed by fishermen and the location was shifted to Vattakkayal, a few kilometers away. The equipment required to set up the waterdrome had been transported to the location, but subsequent works were not executed.
In 2013
The State government had officially launched the seaplane operations at Kollam in June 2013, but the move to arrange regular flights from Kollam to Alappuzha was opposed by fishermen’s organisations on the ground that the flight landings on waterbodies would affect fishing, the means of livelihood of a number of people. The government had constituted an expert committee to study the issue. The panel had recommended shifting of the waterdrome from Punnamada to Vattakayal. It had drawn the government’s attention to the need for a package to fishermen.
