Kerela: The first seaplane in Kerala was flown to the picturesque Mattupetty Dam in Idukki to prove its trial run. This exciting development for the tourism and transport sectors holds of promise for water-air transit projects in Kerala, meant to give tourists a unique and scenic experience of experiencing “God’s Own Country” through air travel combined with water bodies.
The amphibian seaplane is known to be a Cessna Caravan 206. It is the perfect aircraft to take off and also land in water and thus perfect for Kerala’s backwaters and reservoirs. Kerala now plans to introduce seaplane services connecting the immensely popular tourist destinations like Idukki, Alappuzha, and Kochi, thereby giving a different way of navigating through Kerala’s scenic location. Departmental officers of Kerala Tourism feel that this project will highly add to the value of Kerala’s hill stations and backwater destinations.
Safety and Environmental Concerns
Despite gaining all-around support for the project, the ecologists and local inhabitants express fears that the ecology and livelihoods of the area might be impacted. The waves that comes with landing and taking off might affect aquatic life and disturb the come activities of the locality. The state government has ensured that all the environmental guidelines are strictly adhered to. To address the concerns of fisherfolk, there are plans in place which include zoning for the operations of the seaplane so that the fishing areas are not affected to a large extent.
Future Plans for Seaplane Operations
This marks the successful trial for the government as the start of the large network of routes they envision in their state for seaplanes. The government will implement it as an effort to get more revenue from tourism, since it clears up a lot of congestion that has come to characterize Kerala’s roads. Commercial operations will follow after approval concerning the aspects of safety and regulations.
That would fit well into Kerala’s vision of innovation in the tourism sector, following houseboats and adventure tourism. When finally implemented, seaplanes may cement Kerala’s reputation as a destination for truly diversified experiences.
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