Wednesday, February 03, 2016

Seaplane Project Take-off Set to Face Further Delay

Thiruvananthapuram: The controversial seaplane project is set to face further delay as no concrete decision, on when commercial operations could start, could be taken at a meeting chaired by Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar here on Tuesday.

The minister told the meeting attended by seaplane operators that further steps towards commencing seaplane operations could be taken only when the seaplanes got operational clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The state government, on its part, assured the operators that it would provide all necessary support in obtaining clearance from the DGCA. The minister also said that a trial flight in the Ashtamudi lake could be also carried out only after the aircraft obtained necessary clearances.

In order to address the concerns of fishermen before commencing seaplane service, a trial operation flight would be conducted in the Ashtamudi lake. That was necessary to convince the fishermen that seaplane operations would not affect marine resources or fishing activities, Anil Kumar said.
03/04/16 New Indian Express
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