The Central government may usher in commercial charter operations of seaplanes in the country soon, by unveiling the guidelines for non-scheduled operator permits. “These new guidelines have been framed with industry’s inputs, and are in line with the new level of regulatory compliance for the segment,” sources told FE. Many firms including SpiceJet, Mehair, and Heritage Aviation have shown interest in the segment, along with global OEMs, they added. Even global players such as De Havilland Aircraft and Cessna may show interest.
Seaplanes imported for NSOP operations only attract less than 5% duty.
Furthermore, many state governments, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, have shown interest in having this kind of connectivity. “Not only coastal states but, more importantly, the island chains will benefit from having dedicated seaplane operations in the country,” sources said.
Currently, no seaplane service is operational in India.
“It’s one of those segments whose time has come; however, operational guidelines meant for large airports and airlines cannot be applied on the seaplane operators,” sources said.
Earlier, attempts were made to start seaplane operations in Andaman and Gujarat; however, commercial considerations and the impact of COVID-19 dealt a blow to these plans.
Similar operations were envisaged to start in lakes, dams, inland waterways, and seacoasts under the Centre’s flagship Udan scheme.
The most famous example of seaplane operations was when Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019–20 took a ride on one between the Sabarmati river front and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The service which was rendered by SpiceJet was later discontinued due to commercial reasons and the impact of Covid-19.