India will soon have around ten seaplanes in operation, which are expected to be deployed by private as well as public operators, global aerospace major De Havilland Canada told businessline.

At present, no seaplanes are operating in the country.

Speaking to businessline, Yogesh Garg, Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific and the Middle East at De Havilland Canada, said that active interest has been shown by air operators to induct the Twin Otter amphibious aircraft.

“Interest has come in from private players, including SpiceJet, and a public sector entity to induct the DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft,” Garg said, who is in India on a DHC-6 Twin Otter amphibious aircraft demo tour.

The tour started on November 9 will conclude on November 19, during which the aircraft is flown for public viewing at seven locations around the country, including Kochi, Lakwadeep, Shillong, and Port Blair.

Accordingly, the seaplane manufacturer expects significant growth potential for its DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft in India.

The plane costs nearly ₹60 crore per unit. However, it is expected to be deployed under the leasing model.

The Twin Otter had earlier gained attention in 2019-20, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew on one such aircraft between the Sabarmati riverfront and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. 

The service, operated by SpiceJet, was eventually discontinued due to Covid-19.

“We expect to see at least 8-10 seaplanes deployed within the next 8-12 months,” Garg said.

Globally, De Havilland Canada holds more than 95% of the seaplane market share and has over 100 seaplanes deployed in the nearby Maldives.

According to Garg, De Havilland’s forecasts a requirement of at least 30-40 seaplanes in India over the next five years. This number, he said, will increase to about 60-70 aircraft over the next decade.

Besides, the aircraft manufacturer expects the creation of 60-100 seaplane routes over the next five years, leading to the development of nearly 30 waterdromes.

Presently, there are around 30 seaplane routes in India under the central government’s air regional connectivity Udan scheme.

In July 2024, the Centre came out with relaxed guidelines on commercial charter seaplane operations. 

Since then, several firms, including SpiceJet, Mehair, and Heritage Aviation, along with global OEMs, have shown interest in this emerging sector.

Furthermore, state governments, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, have expressed interest in enhancing connectivity through seaplanes.

Last week, SpiceJet announced plans to launch seaplane operations in 2025, connecting some of India’s most remote and picturesque locations.

The airline has the rights to operate seaplane services on 20 routes, including Lakshadweep, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Shillong.

SpiceJet said that it is preparing to roll out connectivity across key routes as the infrastructure becomes ready.

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