Is the seaplane service struggling to attract passengers?
MUMBAI: The seaplane service that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote tourism for the Statue of Unity in Ahmedabad is unable to attract many passengers after recommencing operations at the end of last year.
According to sources in the ministry of civil aviation, the seaplanes are operating daily at around 50% capacity.
The service between the Sabarmati riverfront and Kevadia commenced on October 31, 2020, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. However, services had to be shut on November 26 due to maintenance issues.
Operated by Spice Shuttle, a fully-owned subsidiary of Spicejet, which wet-leased the seaplane from Maldives Island Aviation Services (MIAS) was required to send the 19-seater Twin Otter 300 aircraft back to the Maldives for repairs.
The seaplane operation was shut within a month of its commencement and resumed only on December 30, 2020.
“Seaplane operations resumed from December 30, 2020, and two daily return flights are being operated. No flights were operated on January 9, 2021 (due to bad weather). A notice to airmen (NOTAM) was issued on January 14 and 15, 2021 due to Makar Sankranti festival, and no flights were operated,” said a Spicejet spokesperson. However, sources from the aviation ministry confirmed that the seaplane service is struggling to attract passengers. “The passenger load factor is currently around 50%, and it is worse for return flights,” said an aviation ministry official. A Delhi-based official in the know said the number of flights per day has also been curtailed. “Only two of the four scheduled flights are currently operating due to the poor load factor,” he alleged.
Spicejet’s spokesperson, however, refuted the claims. “The loads are very healthy. Our flights to Kevadia are clocking an average load of over 90%,” the spokesperson said.
The seaplane is the first to operate under the Central government’s Udey Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) project.