New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways today signed an MoU to promote seaplane service in the country.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that this agreement will prove to be a milestone in the direction of early implementation of the seaplane project. Under this, the operation of seaplanes will be developed in the ‘UDAN’ scheme of the Ministry to include the unserved places in the air network. A Coordination Committee consisting of officials of the Ministry of Tourism besides both the Ministries will be constituted to select the possible routes for seaplane service and ensure timely commencement of the service.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will be responsible for the development of infrastructure on the banks of the water bodies selected for seaplane operations. He will develop the waterdromes as per the norms after obtaining necessary clearances from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation will be responsible for the selection of operators for seaplane service. It will allot the routes to the operators as part of the bidding process and will also provide financial assistance for the construction of the allotted waterdromes.
