Nedumbassery: The much-awaited seaplane service in Kerala is set to take off from Kochi airport next month. In its first phase, the service will connect Kochi with Lakshadweep and will be operated by Spice Shuttle, a subsidiary of SpiceJet. The service will use 20-seater seaplanes manufactured by De Havilland, a Canadian company. In the next phase, operations are expected to extend to Bolgatty, Idukki Dam and Wayanad Lake.

The ticket fare for Lakshadweep is expected to be around Rs 12,000, though passengers are likely to benefit from subsidies of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 under the UDAN scheme. It is hoped that at least half of the tickets will be made available at the subsidised rates. As for helicopter operations, a service is already in place to Pampa. However, CIAL director Manu G said that the viability of any other service remains doubtful, as a 45-minute journey can cost around Rs 60,000 per person, which is affordable only for business-class passengers. 

In November last year, a trial service was conducted from Kochi to Mattupetty Dam in Munnar. Waterdomes are also expected to be established around major water bodies of all Kerala districts. The plane is said to need only about two metres of depth in the water body to land, along with 800 metres of water runway for takeoff. 

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