Seaplane Quest during the trial run by Spicejet in Mumbai on Saturday (PTI)
Mumbai could soon see the re-introduction of air services through the sea if plans of the government go through to launch air services to smaller cities with amphibious planes.
SpiceJet, a private low-cost carrier conducted seaplane trials in association with Japan's Setouchi Holdings at Mumbai's Girgaum Chowpatty today. This was the second phase of trials for the amphibious aircraft. Under the first phase, trials of the land plane were conducted in Nagpur and Guwahati.
SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh said, "We will not do anything if the operation is not profitable. We will make sure that the business is profitable just as our main business is profitable. We feel there are tremendous possibilities with these aircraft, there are so many airports which are completely constrained. For cities where there are no airports at all, there are tremendous possibilities of providing connectivity."
SpiceJet says the business plan is still being worked out but the airline is looking at introducing 100 such aircraft. These are going to be feeder aircraft which will feed into its existing network.
Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari said all players were welcome to enter the market once the gates are opened.
"We will formulate a policy for this in three months. It has been a dream that I have nurtured. Conversion of 111 rivers into waterways and the availability of lakhs of lakes and dams which can be converted into airports with minimal expenditure on small floating jetties," he told NDTV.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, termed the move as an extension of Udaan scheme. "If all goes according to what we think we are capable of, in the third round Udaan these aircraft can also come in."
In 2014, a sea plane service was launched to connect Mumbai to tourist destinations in the Western Ghats, providing an alternative to four or five hour long drives on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. However that service did not find a market and failed to draw fliers. This time around the government says a policy will be framed keeping economic viability in mind.