The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued licensing norms for setting up of water aerodromes in India. The Civil Aviation ministry has selected fives states for setting up of water aerodromes in India. The five states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Odisha and Maharashtra. As part of the first phase of the project, the government has identified Chilika Lake in Odisha and Sardar Sarovor Dam and Sabarmati River Front in Gujarat for setting up water aerodromes.
The government in the initial phase will be setting up water aerodromes near tourist locations and places of religious importance. The civil aviation ministry is considering to include the operation of seaplanes under the UDAN scheme. According to the licensing norms released by DGCA, for organization interested in setting up water aerodromes in India has to take approval from various authorities which include ministries of shipping, home, defence and environment and forests. Initially the license for water aerodrome will be issued for a period of six months during which the implementation and operations will be monitored by the government.
SpiceJet, the no-frills carrier, which is keen to set up water aerodrome in India, has plans to buy over 100 amphibian planes and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Setouchi Holdings of Japan to explore cost effectiveness of operating amphibian planes in the country.
@EPC World Media
