Kochi–Lakshadweep seaplane service from next month

Time of India

a day ago

Kochi: Opening a new chapter in the state's aviation history, seaplane service to Lakshadweep from Kochi airport is set to take off next month. All preliminary steps, including trial runs, have been successfully completed, officials of Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) said on Wednesday.
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"The one-way fare from Kochi to Lakshadweep will be around Rs 12,000. The Union govt has approved SpiceJet to operate seaplanes on this sector," said Manu G, airport director, Cial. "We may be able to offer a few tickets in the Rs 2,000–4,000 range once this service is brought under the UDAN scheme... De Havilland, the manufacturer of the seaplane, has recommended a passenger capacity of 18 to 20," he said.
"We have suggested four destinations within the state for seaplane operations.
Services within Kerala will begin after the Kochi–Lakshadweep operations are commissioned," he said.
Helicopter services to Pampa are already operated from Cial, but their commercial viability remains doubtful. "A 45-minute journey by helicopter costs around Rs 60,000 per person. Normally, it is affordable only for business-class passengers. Common people cannot bear such costs. But the seaplane project has been designed to make the journey affordable to the common man," Manu said, adding that the priority is to enhance connectivity and boost tourism.
The seaplane trial flight from Kochi backwaters to Mattupetty Dam near Munnar was conducted on Nov 11, 2024. Seaplane services were originally conceived in 2013, but they had to be abandoned owing to protests and feasibility concerns. Fishermen had opposed the project, fearing disruption to fishing activities, while environmental groups raised ecological concerns.