The state is all set to start its first seaplane service in June. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will officially inaugurate the service on Sunday, Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar said here. The amphibian aircraft Cessna 206H which arrived here from New Delhi at around 12.30 pm was given a traditional water salute welcome. Two Air Crash Fire Tenders pumped water to a height of 20 meters as the aircraft taxied from the runway to the hangar tarmac.
A P Anil Kumar, Minister for Tourism who was present at the MRO hangar greeted Captain Michael Fabry who piloted the aircraft by presenting him a bouquet.
Welcoming the guests, Minister Anil Kumar said that the realisation of the seaplane project was the result of over one-and-a-half years of hard work by the Tourism Department. “We are starting off with one aircraft but in due course 11 more will be added. For that, five new operators have already approached the department showing their willingness,” he said.
There’s no reason for the fisherfolk to be worried as the aircraft produces less sound than a fishing boat when it starts, and there’s no scope of damaging the sealife underwater, he said.
“The five-plus-one seater aircraft will fly at a low height giving travellers a chance to enjoy a panoramic view. I am optimistic that the facility will further boost tourism in the state,” he said. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will officially inaugurate the flight on June 2 flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Ashtamudi Kayal and back.
The seaplane project aims to connect 25 tourist spots, but the services will be first introduced in destinations such as Ashtamudi Kayal in Kollam, Punnamada Kayal in Alappuzha, Vembanad Kayal in Kumarakom, and Bekal in North Kerala.
Bolgatty in Kochi backwaters, which was in the original plan, was dropped as security clearances are yet to be received from the ministries and departments concerned. Kerala Tourism Deparment Secretary Suman Billa said services from Bolgatty would commence after they receive necessary clearances. According to him, the project will improve last-mile connectivity by air to the destinations from airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The waterdromes necessary for the operations have been kept ready at Ashtamudi Kayal, Punnamada Kayal, Kumarakom and Bakel, he said. “Kerala gets around 1 crore visitors every year and its tourism revenue, both direct and indirect, touched `21,125 crore in 2012, as against `19,037 crore in 2011. By introducing seaplanes, the count will definitely go up,” Billa said. About pressure from environmentalists and apprehensions raised by the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishath, the Minister said refuelling and repair of the aircraft won’t be done on water so oil spillage is out of question.
Billa said that the pricing has been fixed at `4000 for 30 minutes of travel, which would be the minimum. The final pricing will be worked out later, he said. A consortium comprising Kairali Aviation and Pinnacle Corporation has taken up the operation of seaplane services. Colonel Sasikumar, the head of Bangalore-based Kairali Aviation, said that foreign pilots are being recruited for the operations as Indian pilots with necessary flying experience are hard to find. Cap Fabry, who pilots the Cessna 206H, has more than 3,500 flying hours to his credit.
The promoters of the project are not expecting generation of profits in the first year, but feels that the things would be differenr when the technical operations and marketing are streamlined.
The Airport Security Group of the Kerala Police has been assigned with the security of the waterdromes. They have been trained and certified by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.