Launched by PM Modi, India’s ‘first-ever’ seaplane service struggles to stay airborne

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has denied sharing report of feasibility test for seaplane service between Ahmedabad and Kevadia, the seat of the Statue of Unity, as well as expenses incurred in launching the project on the ground that revealing such information would “directly affect strategy and economic interest of the state” as well as “commercial confidence” in the state.

On October 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the seaplane service while the state was in the middle of a campaign for Assembly bypolls which the BJP swept eventually. However, since the launch, the service has remained grounded for most of the days and as per reports it flew barely 25 days. During the launch, it was hailed as the country’s first ever seaplane service.