"Seaplane" as fascinating it may sound are a unique method of transportation in this advancing era of technology. They belong to the class of aircraft that can land, float and take off on water!
Seaplane is also known as the Amphibian aircraft, it gives fantastic scenic aerial view and thrill while flying so low above the sea level in addition to the excitement of landing and taking off in the sea. Sea planes have more flexibility in travelling from mainland to island sites. It offers the utility of a boat with the speed of an aeroplane.
Jal Hans, is a commercial seaplane service based in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was launched as a pilot project on 30 December 2010, by ministry of Civil aviation.
Did you know?
India's first commercial operation of seaplane began on 23 January 2011 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by Pawan Hans Helicopter limited jointly with Andaman and Nicobar Government.
It flew between Port Blair and Havelock Isand and was inaugurated by the then Leiutenant Governor Bhopinder Singh. Also, Jal Hans was granted exclusive right for five years to operate commercial seaplane service in these Islands.
About the Seaplane:
Cessna Caravan 208 A, (the seaplane), had a total seating capacity of 10, eight being passenger seats, can it could travel upto 250 Kms/hr. However since 2020, the seaplane service is currently unoperational in the islands, but is believed to resume in few years. To check the availability of seaplane you can visit this website: Seaplanebooking
Types of Seaplane:
There are two major types- Statue
a) Flying boats(Hull seaplanes) b) Floatplanes
Further informtion:
- Following Jal Hans, a commercial seaplane service operated by Kairali aviation was launched by the Kerala Government on June 2,2013 in Kollam. This was the first such service in mainland India.
- Another state to undertake this was Maharashtra, where the seaplane service was launched from Juhu to Pawana Dam near Pune on August 2014 by a private company Maritime Energy Heli Air Services(MEHAIR), along with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation(MTDC).
- Recently, seaplane service between Statue of Liberty and Sabarmati river was launched in Ahmedabad on October 2020.
The seaplane services are believed to be a game-changer that can provide comfortable and faster transportation across the nation. Apart from providing connectivity to remote tourist places it will also boost tourism, revenue and generate employment opportunities. With approximately 12 major seaports, 200 small ports, 2000 river ports, plenty of dams and over 4 lakh ponds there is significant potential for seaplane operations in India in the near future.
