New Delhi: The government is in the process to launch seaplane services on several routes, including Delhi-Ayodhya, in collaboration with the airline operators, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Monday.
The development follows the launch of a seaplane service between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2020. The seaplane services to facilitate faster and hassle-free travel across the country will prove to be a game-changer, it said.
"Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is initiating the process of commencing operations of the Seaplane services, on the select routes, under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) framework through prospective airline operators," an official statement said.
The project execution and implementation would be through Sagarmala Development Company Ltd (SDCL), which is under the administrative control of the ministry.
Several destinations are envisaged for seaplane operations, it said.
"The proposed Origin-Destination pairs under Hub and Spoke model include various islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep, Guwahati Riverfront & Umranso Reservoir in Assam, Yamuna Riverfront / Delhi (as Hub) to Ayodhaya, Tehri, Srinagar (Uttrakhand), Chandigarh and many other tourist places...," the statement said.
It added that to run more such services in the coastal areas or proximity to water bodies, SDCL is keen to associate with the interested scheduled / non-scheduled airline operators.
The joint development and operation of "Sagarmala Seaplane Services (SSPS)" will be undertaken by forming a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL), it said.
To provide connectivity and easier accessibility to remote locations, SDCL is exploring plans to leverage the potential of the vast coastline and numerous water bodies/rivers across India by commencing seaplane operations.
The seaplane will utilise the nearby water bodies for take-off and landing and thus connect those places in a much economical way as conventional airport infrastructure like a runway and terminal buildings are not required for seaplane operations, the statement said.
The seaplane services will be a game-changer, providing a supplementary means of faster and comfortable transportation across the nation, the statement said.