Vijayawada: Excitement is palpable with the stage set for the demo launch of the seaplane between Vijayawada and the temple town of Srisailam on Saturday. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will formally launch the seaplane service at a function being organised at Babburi Grounds in Vijayawada on Saturday.
AP Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) managing director C.V. Praveen Adithya said the CM, union civil aviation minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu and other dignitaries will take off from Punnami Ghat around 10:30 a.m. The seaplane will land in the Srisailam Reservoir and reach the jetty of the tourism department.
According to Praveen Adithya, the seaplane service is part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under which water aerodromes will be developed to support seaplane services. Launched in 2017, the UDAN-RCS initiative is aimed at boosting regional air connectivity, with seaplanes being an integral part of the plan. The RCS offers subsidies for flights operated to underserved and unserved regions, making seaplanes a crucial element of expanding air services to various areas in the country.
The APADCL MD said the state government is conducting a feasibility study and preparing a detailed project report (DPR) to establish seaplane services on eight routes in AP – Prakasam Barrage, Araku, Lambasingi, Rushikonda, Kakinada, Konaseema, Srisailam and Tirupati.
He clarified that the government has not partnered with any airline company yet. It has sought the seaplane from an aircraft manufacturer for the trial run. The plane will be returned to the manufacturer after the successful conduct of the trial on Saturday between Vijayawada and Srisailam.
The De Havilland Seaplane that will take off on Saturday is a 19-seater including the pilot. It can be converted into 15, 14 or 10-seater configurations.
Locals throng to witness seaplane rehearsal
Enthusiastic locals thronged the Babburi Grounds on the banks of River Krishna on Friday morning to witness the rehearsal of the seaplane’s demo launch. The seaplane took off multiple times from the jetty constructed adjacent to the Babburi Grounds by the tourism department.
Sagar, a local tour operator of Vijayawada city, said, “There is a significant demand for buses and trains to Srisailam from Vijayawada. The patronage of the seaplane service will hugely depend on the pricing, although air travel will significantly reduce the time taken to reach the destination.”
