Kochi: The Kochi–Mattupetty seaplane, which is in the trial phase, landed successfully on Monday at 11 am in Munnar's Mattupetty Dam. The plane took only around half an hour to reach its destination, while road travel takes at least 5 hours to cover the same stretch.
The seaplane, which received an enthusiastic welcome in Munnar, will return to Kochi today to fill the fuel and fly to Lakshadweep's Agatti. If all goes well, the plane is expected to start service for tourists within six months. As per reports, the operators will follow a 'Maldives-model' service to connect various spots like Kochi, Munnar, Wayanad, Alappuzha and more.
The seaplane needs only about two metres of depth for landing and just about 800 metres of water runway for its takeoff. It reached Kochi airport on Sunday morning. On Sunday, the plane that took off at 3.15 pm from the airport circled thrice above the Bolgatty Palace before landing in the lake 15 minutes later. The seaplane service in the state has been proposed under the central government’s regional connectivity project, UDAN. The project envisages increasing connectivity between the airports and waterbodies in Kerala.
Facilities in the seaplane
A seaplane is a small aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. The passengers will board the seaplane from the water domes that float on the water. The aircraft can carry up to 9, 15, 17, 20 and 30 passengers depending on size. Captain Daniel Montgomery and Captain Rodger Bringer were the seaplane pilots that arrived in Kochi.
The crew members are Yogesh Garg, Sandeep Das, Sayed Kamran Hussain, and Mohan Kumar. The services of de Havilland Aviation Company are managed jointly by a Switzerland-based private company and Spice Jet. The seaplane reached India after conducting test flights in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Meanwhile, Idukki district collector V Vigneshwari has issued an order banning all drone activity at the dam and nearby areas in Mattupetty.
