Kerala Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas on Monday flagged off the trial run of the first seaplane service that took off from Bolgatty Palace Waterdrome and landed in Mattupetty dam in Idukki.

The Minister also took a short trip on the 17-seater aircraft with Industries Minister P Rajeeve, Education Minister V Sivankutty, and senior government officials.

With the addition of seaplane services, Riyas said it will be possible to reach remote areas of the State quickly and economically. Kerala plans to connect its four international airports, national highways, hill highways, and upcoming high-speed rail corridors.

The government aims to popularise the seaplane services, and the State is trying to make this affordable and accessible to everyone. A detailed plan on the service is being prepared.

Minister Rajeeve, who presided over the function, said Kerala has a large number of five-star hotels, and four world-class hotel chains would launch in Kochi alone.

A Switzerland-based private company and SpiceJet operate the de Havilland aircraft, which arrived here after trial services in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Canadian aircraft manufacturer De Havilland offers engineering expertise and assists with technical and logistical challenges.

The seaplane service is provided under the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN.

Kerala targets increasing connectivity among its airports, hill stations, and backwaters by offering subsidised fares. These are small planes with 9, 15, 17, 20 and 30 seats.

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