A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by India’s Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Shipping on 15 June envisages setting up of a Coordination Committee for identification of routes and operationalisation of seaplane services at various locations.
The MoU signed in the presence of the respective Union Ministers, Hardeep Singh Puri and Mansukh Mandaviya in Delhi plans to work together in a coordinated way to unlock the potential of seaplane services to connect various locations in the country and places of tourism.
The MoU also envisages the setting up of a coordination committee of the stakeholding Ministries for timely completion and operationalisation of seaplane services at various locations identified.
While the Ministry of Shipping would identify and develop waterfront infrastructure of locations and obtain required statutory approvals in coordination with the other ministries by defining the timelines for all activities involved in the development of facilities for starting seaplanes operations.
The Civil Aviation Ministry, on its part, would carry out a bidding process and select potential airlines operators based on their commercial consideration through a bidding process, incorporating the routes as identified by the Shipping ministry and routes identified through the bidding process in the UDAN scheme document. It will also provide financial support in respect of water aerodromes awarded under the RCS-UDAN scheme and coordinate with Chief Secretaries of all States for the Seaplanes operations.
According to the report, Hardeep S Puri said that the MoU will help in expediting the development of new water aerodromes and also operationalization of new seaplane routes in India. He further stated that this will give a big fillip to the provision of a new kind of tourism service in India.
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