PM Modi launches India’s 1st seaplane service in Gujarat

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Oct 31, 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a seaplane service from the Statue of Unity in Kevadia of Gujarat’s Narmada district to Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad to mark the 145th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He also travelled on the maiden seaplane flight to Sabarmati riverfront.

The seaplane is a Twin Otter 300 registered in the name M/s Spicejet Technic and be operated by SpiceJet.

This 19-seater seaplane will be used for flights between the Sabarmati riverfront and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Statue of Unity in Kevadia as a part of regional connectivity scheme. The seaplane will be able to accommodate 12 passengers and tickets will cost Rs 4,800 per person.

The aerial distance between Ahmedabad and Kevadia is around 200 kilometres and it will take about 45 minutes to cover the distance.

The Gujarat government had earlier announced that it had signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) in July (2020) to begin the first-ever seaplane services in Gujarat to provide seamless and affordable air connectivity from Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad to the Statue of Unity, Kevadia.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi participated in the Rashtriya Ekta Divas Parade. The police forces of Gujarat Police, Central Reserved Armed Forces, the Border Security Force, the Indo Tibetan Border Police, the Central Industrial Security Force and the National Security Guards participated in the parade.