Seaplane Trial Run Set for the First Week of November in AP

Kurnool: The state government is planning to conduct a seaplane trial run by the first week of November, aiming to boost tourism opportunities.

The seaplane trial run will start at Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada and travel to Srisailam, landing in the Krishna River, testing both land and water landing capabilities.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is set to launch the activity, according to sources.

The project is being undertaken under the RCS – UDAN scheme of the Centre. It is similar to the seaplane service between the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and the Statue of Unity near Kevadia in Gujarat’s Narmada district.

For the project in Andhra Pradesh, the necessary approvals are awaited from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Government of India.

Typically, seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with fewer seats that can take off from both land and water. The AP officials are planning to operate a 19-seater amphibious flight service in the state.

The Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) is working on the project and is currently preparing a detailed project report (DPR). Officials from the tourism, revenue, forest, fisheries and water resources departments had previously participated in a preliminary study in Srisailam. They travelled from the SLBC tunnel to the Srisailam reservoir upstream to evaluate the feasibility of the project and observed that the area is suitable for an aerodrome where seaplanes can land and take-off. Surveys at Prakasam Barrage and Nagarjunasagar still need to be completed.

Triangular services between Prakasam Barrage, Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam are being proposed and its potential is yet to be assessed. Tourism packages will be considered to offer seaplane services along the river routes after obtaining all the necessary approvals.

“This is only a trial run to assess the feasibility of the seaplane service and the MoCA still has to provide approvals. This is an amphibious flight with 19 seats that will be tested during the trial. Appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome,” said an official from the APADCL.