NEW DELHI: After several false starts in the past, India is set to witness the return of seaplane services. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted an air operator certificate (AOC) to SkyHop Aviation, which plans to become India's first dedicated commercial seaplane operator.
Initial Phase: Connecting Lakshadweep
In the first phase, SkyHop aims to connect five islands in Lakshadweep with each other and the mainland. Operations will commence with a 19-seater aircraft. The airline is also evaluating opportunities in other parts of the country.
Avani Singh, founder and CEO of SkyHop Aviation and daughter of SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh, said: "Receiving the AOC is an important milestone for us… and gives us the foundation to move ahead with confidence…. Our aim is simple – to offer a safe, reliable and new way of connecting parts of India that are still difficult to access. We hope to deliver an experience that is both practical and memorable for travellers, while contributing in a small but meaningful way to regional access and national integration."
Aircraft Conversion and Certification
For its seaplane service, SkyHop converted an aircraft from a non-operational airline by fitting floats. The aircraft, a De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, conducted test flights in Uttarakhand to and from the Ganga Barrage in Haridwar earlier this month. The aircraft originally belonged to the now-defunct Fly Big airline. After the Union Budget's push for seaplane services, Union Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha directed the DGCA to certify the conversion of this aircraft into a seaplane by attaching floats.
Following the modification, which was carried out in India, the DGCA issued a certificate of airworthiness and approved the aircraft's operating procedures. This marks the first time an aircraft converted or modified within India as a seaplane has taken to the skies. Previously, seaplanes arrived in India already configured as seaplanes and operated with mixed success.
Government Support and Future Prospects
In the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced: "To enhance last-mile and remote connectivity, and promote tourism, I propose to give incentives to indigenise manufacturing of seaplanes. A seaplane viability gap funding scheme will also be introduced to provide support for operations." The recently revised UDAN scheme also plans to include more seaplane services.
SpiceJet had briefly operated a seaplane service in Gujarat a few years ago but could not sustain it. This time, officials expect a different outcome given the renewed government focus on this mode of transport.
