Centre Clears 48 Sea Plane Routes For Kerala As State Gears Up To Launch Project

Kerala’s seaplane project has received a major push, with the Centre allocating 48 routes for operations across the state.

In a Facebook post, Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said that a detailed plan to create the necessary infrastructure for the project is also in the works.

The minister noted that routes have been allotted to IndiaOne Air, Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (MEHAIR), Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), and SpiceJet.

He recalled that the state government had earlier pledged continuous efforts to make the project a reality.

“As part of that, a seaplane test flight was conducted from Kochi to Mattupetty in Idukki district,” Riyas wrote. He added that funds had already been earmarked in the state budget for the initiative.

“We will move forward by uniting everyone to make the seaplane project through dams a reality in Kerala,” he said.

The seaplane service falls under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN, an initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, aimed at boosting affordable air travel and enhancing connectivity across Kerala’s airports and scenic backwaters.

The service will operate small aircraft with seating capacities ranging from 9 to 30 passengers, taking off and landing at floating waterdromes. The project is expected to dramatically cut travel time between Kerala’s four international airports and remote inland destinations.

The state government has identified several potential locations for waterdromes, including Bolgatty, Mattupetty, Kovalam, Ashtamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Vembanad, Malampuzha, and Bekal.

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