Thiruvananthapuram: The seaplane project mooted during the 2012 Emerging Kerala meet has developed a snag with the Dubai-based lessor of the plane, Abdul Houl, cancelling the lease with Kairali Aviation and leasing the plane to Mumbai-based Mehair for a five-year term on September 1.
TOI had reported in October that Kairali Aviation intended to give away the four-seater aircraft to the company in Mumbai as it had suffered losses, as the aircraft was grounded due to concerns raised by the fishing community. The state government had constituted a committee to study the impact of the seaplane operation on inland fishing and committee members had requested that a trial flight be conducted in November. However, by then the plane already belonged to Mehair, but it could not be taken out of its parking at Kochi International airport as some of its certificates had expired.
DGCA sources said the Keralites in the PMO had arm-twisted the DGCA to give the aircraft a green signal. Mehair had to reissue important certificates, such as its airworthiness certificate, which was taken only for 30 days. It had to be issued for a minimum of one year.
08/12/13 Sangeetha Nair/Times of India
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TOI had reported in October that Kairali Aviation intended to give away the four-seater aircraft to the company in Mumbai as it had suffered losses, as the aircraft was grounded due to concerns raised by the fishing community. The state government had constituted a committee to study the impact of the seaplane operation on inland fishing and committee members had requested that a trial flight be conducted in November. However, by then the plane already belonged to Mehair, but it could not be taken out of its parking at Kochi International airport as some of its certificates had expired.
DGCA sources said the Keralites in the PMO had arm-twisted the DGCA to give the aircraft a green signal. Mehair had to reissue important certificates, such as its airworthiness certificate, which was taken only for 30 days. It had to be issued for a minimum of one year.
08/12/13 Sangeetha Nair/Times of India
