India to Restart Seaplane Services on Two Routes by October

• Seaplane services to resume on two routes by October, with possible expansion to Chilika Lake and the eastern coast
• Regulations for waterdromes, pilot training, and operations have been simplified
• States and airlines are urged to propose new locations and ideas to expand the network

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu recently stated that the Civil Aviation Ministry will take seaplane operations back to at least two routes in India by October.

"Seaplane operation was there once, but it was limited to a single route. The government has simplified the guidelines to operate seaplanes, and we hope that by October, we will have two seaplanes in the country operating either on the Andaman & Nicobar, Kerala, or Andhra Pradesh network", he announced.

He stated that seaplane services could be extended to new routes, including Odisha's Chilika Lake and along the eastern coast. The service can be started on any water body where you have more than five feet depth and 200 metres of landing space.

The Union Minister said that rules and regulations to create waterdromes (the location for the seaplane to take off and land), seaplane pilot training, and sea plane operations have been made easier in order to promote this sector.

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He urged airline operators to take a chance at creating an opportunity to sell the wonderful creativity that seaplane services offer.

The minister called for state governments to think outside the box and suggest a location or new concepts that will help expand the seaplane network.

"Right now, 1,700 planes are on order. Each aircraft requires 20 to 30 pilots. Every year, we must generate 3,000 pilots to meet the demand in India alone. To achieve this, the Ministry will start a ranking system for FTOs operating in India from October", the minister added.

The ministers were welcomed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi who inaugurated the conference and was joined by: Naidu, Minster of State for Civil Aviation Mohol Murlidhar, Minister of Chhattisgarh, Om Prakash Choudhary, and senior civil aviation officials from the eastern states. The civil aviation ministry's initiative aims to increase regional connectivity and tourism by simplifying seaplane operations.