Planes on water, now in India

"Seaplanes have significant tourism potential. Since no seaplanes are manufactured in the country, Pawan Hans is considering a tie up with some Maldivian operator to fly these," a senior civil aviation ministry official said. Further, with 100 per cent foreign direct investment allowed in seaplane services, many more players are likely to exploit its potential.

As per the civil aviation requirements (CAR), an operator would need to obtain a permit for non-scheduled (passenger) services or for charter operations. Each seaplane, either manufactured in India or imported, would need an ‘airworthiness’ certificate from DGCA and will need to comply with strict safety parameters since water operations carry an element of risk and have never been tested in the country before.

For starters, pilots would need to conduct a detailed check of the aircraft before take-off. Since passenger survival in seaplane incidents is critical in the event of a deep impact with water, a detailed pre-takeoff and pre-landing briefing would be mandatory. "Since seaplanes tend to come to rest inverted in water accidents or incidents but can remain afloat for long periods if the floats are not breached, enough stress on the importance of a thorough preflight passenger briefing is required to be given," the DGCA notification states. Night operations of seaplanes would not be permitted.

With these requirements in place, Pawan Hans can now begin seaplane operations in the country.

•Pawan Hans considering a tie-up with a Maldivian company to operate seaplanes in India

•Each seaplane, either manufactured in India or imported, would need an ‘airworthiness’ certificate