SpiceJet (SG, Delhi International) is mulling establishing a seaplane manufacturing plant in the Indian state of West Bengal in order to produce aircraft which would then be deployed on thinner domestic routes, The Times of India has reported.
"We would like to fly these seaplanes in the state to boost tourism as well to explore the possibility of manufacturing them in the state," company's chairman Ajay Singh said during the Bengal Global Business Summit 2018 earlier this week.
In mid-December, the airline concluded a six-month trial period of its Quest Kodiak seaplane operations. Singh told reporters at that time that SpiceJet intends to launch scheduled services to underserved regions in India within twelve months using such aircraft.
The tests have been conducted in cooperation with Setouchi Holdings, a Japanese company which since 2015 has owned Quest Aircraft (Sandpoint). In October 2017, the carrier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Setouchi regarding the purchase of at least a hundred Kodiaks. The potential value of the deal exceeds USD400 million.
It is not clear whether SpiceJet is mulling manufacturing a new type of seaplanes in India or rather is aiming to establish a Quest assembly plant.
