Pune-Nashik seaplane service to begin from June 15

[RISING SUN]

Shipping vessels should not be allowed to main land ports as we have already saw what has happened in Ennore Port .

All shipping vessels and passenger vessels should be stopped at the Islands only.

Sorry again didn't understood you, what are you discussing about exactly?

 

[Hindustani78]

Sorry again didn't understood you, what are you discussing about exactly?

Here its more about national security.

 

[RISING SUN]

Here its more about national security.

Sorry it is all not connected, at all. First we were discussing seaplane which can take off from deep river or lakes like in case of Pune and Nashik. Then you posted Lakshadweep image. I questioned that image relevance upon which you said of something of Ennore case(which I don't know really) that all shipping and passenger ship should not be allowed in mainland, only on islands. And now you are saying something about national security. It is really not making any sense for me at all. What picture you are trying to make. As far as I am concerned, I think government asked for Pune/Nashik/Mumbai connectivity by seaplane after checking feasibility and security aspects as well. Thank you.

 

[Hindustani78]

Sorry it is all not connected, at all. First we were discussing seaplane which can take off from deep river or lakes like in case of Pune and Nashik. Then you posted Lakshadweep image. I questioned that image relevance upon which you said of something of Ennore case(which I don't know really) that all shipping and passenger ship should not be allowed in mainland, only on islands. And now you are saying something about national security. It is really not making any sense for me at all. What picture you are trying to make. As far as I am concerned, I think government asked for Pune/Nashik/Mumbai connectivity by seaplane after checking feasibility and security aspects as well. Thank you.

First what is needed is security and be it seaplanes or fishing boats or cargo or passenger vessels . Its better that all the vessels should made entry in those islands and unload or load the cargo from there and like this we can create more jobs. In Republic of India , we produce our own cargo vessels. We know how to deal with proxies and protect lifes of Indian Citizens. Ennore port is the latest example for us.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ahmedabad, December 12, 2017 10:18 IST
Updated: December 12, 2017 21:44 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/elections/g...m-sabarmati/article21461880.ece?homepage=true

Prime Minister Narendra Modi boards a sea-plane from Sabamati river front in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

The plane lands at the Dharoi Dam in Mehsana and from there he goes to the Mata temple in Banaskantha district via road.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday travelled in a seaplane from Sabarmati river to Dharoi dam to visit the Ambaji temple in north Gujarat on the last day of campaigning for the second phase assembly polls in the State. The voting for 93 assembly seats in the second phase will be held on Thursday in Central and North Gujarat regions.

This is the first-ever flight by such a craft in the country.

After the administration denied permission to hold road show on the last day of campaigning in Ahmedabad, PM Modi decided to fly in seaplane from Ahmedabad in a bid to bring in novelty in the campaign.

PM Modi boarded the single-engine seaplane from near the Sardar Bridge connecting the old city with Ahmedabad West to Dharoi Dam in north Gujarat. A special jetty was constructed to facilitate the Prime Minister's boarding from the river, where hundreds of citizens gathered to take a glimpse of the seaplane’s taking off.

The ruling BJP said it was “the first-ever flight by a seaplane in the country.” However, the similar seaplane service is apparently available in Kerala and Andaman Islands.

“PM used this seaplane to take a historic flight from Sabarmati river front to Dharoi dam,” Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said.

From landing at Dharoi Dam, PM reached the temple town Ambaji by road and on reaching there, he greeted the people, who had gathered on the roadsides leading to the shrine in large numbers to have a glimpse of the prime minister, and waved at them.

At the temple, Modi performed 'puja' and offered prayers.

"Nothing to do with elections"

Speaking about PM Modi’s seaplane ride, Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari said, “Today is a historic day as PM travelled in a seaplane. It will be a big revolution in the transport sector as India has huge potential in waterways transport.”

“As per rules and regulations, PM can use any transport facility, it has nothing to do with Gujarat election. If Rahul Gandhi wants he can also use it, no politics in it,” Gadkari added, dismissing suggestions that PM’s seaplane ride was a “stunt” to entice voters in Gujarat ahead of voting in the second phase in two provinces: North and Central Gujarat.

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   Prime Minister Narendra Modi boards a seaplane from Sabarmati river. He travelled to Dharoi Dam, where he offered prayers at Ambaji Temple. In a rally on Monday, Modi said it was the first time in history a seaplane was landing on the Sabarmati river. (Source: Express Photo/Javed Raja)

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   In this picture, the seaplane is docked on Sabarmati riverfront, ahead of the Prime Minister's journey. This is the first seaplane to take off from the river. (Express Photo/Javed Raja)
   

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   Ahead of his journey, he had tweeted that the his government is making efforts to harnessing waterways for the 125 crore Indians (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

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   Airline company SpiceJet has proposed introducing seaplane services in the country. It is planning to acquire at least 100 10-seater Kodiac aircrafts from Japanese firm Setouchi Holdings, and begin operations in the next 12 months (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

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   As Modi took off, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari called it a "historic day", adding that introducing seaplane services in India will be a big revolution in the transport sector, reported ANI (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

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   Gadkari, along with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju recently held a demonstration of the seaplane (Express Photo/Javed Raja)
   

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   The Quest Kodiac planes can seat anywhere between nine and 15 people (Express Photo/Javed Raja)
   

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   It requires a runway length of just 300 metres for take-off and landing, and is equipped with floats that allow it to land on waterways (Express Photo/Javed Raja)

PM Modi is expected to travel back to Ahmedabad by the seaplane after his visit (Express Photo/Javed Raja)


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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...tor-gadkari/story-1bjaJvxJ1kqtqo6urBOS5M.html
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in a seaplane from the Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district on the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat assembly elections.
Updated: Dec 12, 2017 18:34 IST
Press Trust of India

Union minister Nitin Gadkari comes out from a Spice jet seaplane during trials at Marine Drive in Mumbai on December 09.(Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)


Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled in India’s first seaplane, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said this mode will revolutionise the transport sector of the country.

Modi flew this morning in a seaplane from the Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district on the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat assembly elections.

“It is a big revolution in the transport sector of our country,” Gadkari told reporters after meeting Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat here.

It has nothing to do with the Gujarat elections, said Gadkari, who was onboard a seaplane during its trial run at the Girgaum Chowpatty off the Mumbai coast on December 9.

“The prime minister can chose any mode of transportation. It is a moment of pride for us that he chose it for trial run. (Congress president-elect) Rahul Gandhi wants, he can use it,” road transport & highways, shipping minister said.

Gandhi, earlier in the day, took a jibe at Modi over his seaplane ride and said it was a distraction from the main issues of Gujarat.

Gadkari said his ministry and civil aviation ministry will frame rules for such form of transport on the lines of regulations in Canada, America and Japan.

He said India has over five lakh waterbodies, out of which 111 rivers have been converted to inland waterways and will be used for transportation in the first phase.

Highlighting the features of seaplanes, the minister said it could even land on one foot deep water body and is also cheaper as 12-seater such planes cost Rs 12-13 crore.

“It does not require expenditure on creating infrastructure (that traditional aircraft needs). It would be a very cheaper mode of transport,” he added.

Gadkari said such mode of transport would be made available wherever possible in the country, including Uttarakhand and the Himalayan region.

Citing example, he said it was also possible that people could use sea-plane to go from Jaipur lake to Udaipur lake in Rajasthan.

Budget carrier SpiceJet, which plans to buy more than 100 amphibian aircraft at an estimated cost of $400 million, had conducted the sea-plane trials at the Girgaum Chowpatty off the Mumbai coast on December 9.

Gadkari after the trial-run had said in a tweet that he had been persuading investors to look at growth potential of sea-planes for the last two years.

Rawat, after about a two-hour meeting with Gadkari, said Uttarakhand has a huge potential for sea-plane mode of transport as the hill state has various big water bodies like Tehri and Nainital lakes.

He said various projects, including those related to Char Dham all weather road, converting state highways to national highways and Namami Gange projects, were discussed with the Union minister.

“We have demanded to convert Ramnagar-Karnaprayag state highway to national highway. Besides, we also discussed about converting some other state highways to national highways,” Rawat added.

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A Seaplane demonstration in the river Krishna organised by AP Tourism and SpiceJet in Vijayawada. Photo: V RAJU.

 

[Hindustani78]

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stands on a seaplane after landing in the Krishna in Vijayawada. | Photo Credit: V RAJU.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...n-the-state-for-seaplanes/article21616593.ece


Operate seaplanes in 60 days, he asks Union Aviation Minister and SpiceJet


Throwing open the major water bodies in State for the Civil Aviation Ministry, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday called upon Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh to make at least five seaplanes operational within the next two months.

Mr. Naidu, along with Mr. Raju, Mr. Singh and others, flew the Kodiak 100 seaplane (amphibious aircraft) owned by the SpiceJet and Japan’s Setouchi Holdings as part of the trial flight conducted on the Krishna river at the Punnami Ghat.

Addressing the gathering after the test flight, Union Minister Mr. Ashok said this was the second demonstration of the amphibian aircraft in the city.

“We have about 7,500 km of coastline, of which 1,000 km is along the State. We also have thousands of rivers and tanks. All these will become potential airfields. All we need to have is a jetty that costs less than ₹1 lakh and a portacabin facility (at water bodies) without compromising on the safety and security aspects, to open up such services across the country,” Mr. Ashok said.

SpiceJet had come forward to demonstrate the amphibian aircraft in the Krishna after Mumbai sea coast, he said.

“As part of taking aviation to the next level in India, I and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had recently discussed the regulations needed for seaplane operations. He wants it to be done in three months, while Mr. Naidu wants it much earlier. We are poised to make seaplanes a reality in India and establish connectivity to areas in difficult terrains and remote places,” he added.

Framing regulations

Mr. Naidu said, “Framing regulations for seaplanes is not a big deal. The government can look into regulations in force in other countries and bring in seaplanes. Entrepreneurs like Ajay Singh are ready to invest.

“We have Krishna and Godavari rivers, long coastline, reservoirs like Yeleru, Thotapalli, Srisailam, Somasila, Kandaleru and various others in the State. We need to encourage seaplanes,” Mr. Naidu said and called upon Mr. Singh to make Andhra Pradesh a hub for its operations.

“I request Mr. Ashok to frame required regulations for seaplanes in 30 days and make them operational in 60 days,” Mr. Naidu said pointing out that SpiceJet had ordered 100 seaplanes.

“We all, including the Prime Minister, have marketed your product. We are also eager to have seaplane services here,” he told Mr. Singh.

“Seaplane operations can bring the remotest parts of India into the mainstream aviation network without high-cost airports and runways. Our seaplane service will open a whole new market for the airline and tourism industry,” Mr. Singh said.

Setouchi Holdings president and CEO Kazuyuki Okada said the Kodiaks were the perfect flying machines that could effectively connect the remote airstrips and SpiceJet would help us serve India better.

Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao, Energy, Infrastructure and Investment Principal Secretary Ajay Jain and Tourism department officials were present

A huge gathering of school children enjoyed the seaplane flights from the Punnami Ghat.

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ave-of-excitement-anxiety/article21616661.ece

Safety thrown to the winds?: Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathiraju, Water Resources Minister D. Umamaheswara Rao and a student in a seaplane on the Krishna. | Photo Credit: V RAJU.


Disapproval as student made to sit at plane’s open door

The seaplane trial by the SpiceJet and the Setouchi Holdings cheered hundreds of school students at the Punnami Ghat on Wednesday. For one student, who was lucky enough to board the plane along with Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and State Ministers D. Umamaheswara Rao and Bhuma Akhila Priya, the ending did not go well as it appeared considering the safety aspects.

In the first trial, the plane touched the water a few hundred meters before the jetty. Lahari of Class VIII of St. John’s School was asked to squat on the floor so that she could wave at her schoolmates. The 10-seater plane’s door was open and the girl had no support while the plane inched to the jetty, setting a wrong precedent of safety.

Though it was still water and the plane was moving slowly, the sight of the child sitting on the edge did not go well with the spectators.

In the second trial, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stood on the staircase of the plane waving at students while his security personnel ensured support to him.

“I was lucky and honoured to fly along with the Ministers. It was my first experience and the best moment in life,” Lahari said.

Another student of the same school, Srilakshmi, boarded the second trial flight along with Mr. Naidu and other Ministers and expressed happiness at the opportunity.