Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has said that the ministry aims to make seaplanes a regular feature of India’s aviation landscape and that Meghalaya has the potential to introduce these amphibious aircraft to foster tourism.
The minister, who is on a two-day visit to Meghalaya, was speaking at the Seaplane Demo launch function held at Umiam Lake today.
“With Meghalaya’s breathtaking landscape, seaplane connectivity can attract tourists not just from India but from around the world, transforming the state’s tourism sector,” he said.
Naidu highlighted the demonstration’s importance as both a technological achievement and a tribute to India’s connectivity vision.
“Seaplanes have the unique potential to connect hard-to-reach destinations, boost tourism, and uplift local economies across the nation. Today’s demonstration embodies the spirit of cooperation between the Central Government and Meghalaya under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.”
The Minister also outlined new initiatives to make seaplane operations accessible and efficient under the UDAN, scheme focused specifically on seaplanes. With new guidelines allowing for smoother operations, including non-scheduled operator permits and eliminating the need for water licenses at water aerodromes.
Comparing India’s potential with established seaplane networks in countries like Maldives and Canada, the minister expressed confidence in India’s capacity to establish a thriving seaplane industry. The Ministry is actively working to facilitate partnerships with industry leaders and state governments, supporting the growth of seaplane routes through funding and technical support.
He further announced plans for collaboration with Indian manufacturers like HAL and Mahindra Aerospace to boost domestic seaplane production. “We aim to make India self-sufficient in seaplane manufacturing, creating jobs and fostering innovation in the aviation sector,” he said.
The demonstration seaplane is an aircraft by the manufacturer DeHavilland from Canada. The Minister appreciated the strength of the seaplane terming it an amphibian aircraft which can land on land, water and other difficult terrains. “The possibility of using this plane is unlimited, it is up to our imagination to decide where you want to take off and where you want to land,” he added.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma spoke about the challenges in connectivity and said the UDAN scheme is a major game changer in terms of connectivity for India and particularly for Meghalaya and the North Eastern region.
Sangma said that the terrain and landscape of Meghalaya will be conducive for seaplanes as water bodies can be created with adequate rainfall. It would be cost-effective as only about Rs 15 lakhs will be required to build a dam for landing rather than building a runway for an airport, he added.
He also informed that a reservoir in Tura to curb water scarcity is being built and this in the next few years would be in line for seaplanes to land as well.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that the State is facing challenges for development of the Umroi airport and sought the ministry’s support for the expansion of the runway for midsized aircraft like the Airbus A320 to take off and land and to operationalise the Baljek Airport in Tura.
