In yet another attempt to relaunch the seaplane service between Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL), on behalf of special purpose vehicle Varuna Vayu Seva Limited, has issued a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) for selection of airline operator for three years.
While the tender, floated on Thursday, will be open for bids until June 26, physical tenders will be accepted until June 27. The date opening of the technical bid is June 28.
The service started between Ahmedabad and Ekta Nagar on October 31, 2020. However, it was suspended when operator SpiceJet pulled out in April 2021. Till April 10, 2021, the service remained suspended for 47 days due to maintenance. In March 2021, then transport minister Purnesh Modi had told the state Assembly that Rs 7.77 crore had been spent on the service.
As per the conditions of the tender, the preferred bidder “shall be required to mobilise resources and commence services within 30 days from the date of signing of agreement”.
The GUJSAIL is seeking the deployment of a seaplane or an amphibious aircraft on the route. The tender document stated, “The operator is expected to deploy 9 to 19-seater single engine aircraft or that of a higher configuration, seaplane or amphibian… the aircraft should be maximum 12 years old as of the date of issuance of the RFP and meet all the DGCA requirements and during the entire period of the services.”
The tender also specified that the “operations have to be preferable during the morning and evening” and the “last flight will be dependent on sunset time”.
14/05/2023 Aditi Raja/Indian Express
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