Thailand's Siam Seaplane outlines operational plans

Investor interest heats up for Greek seaplane project

SpiceJet wet-leases Maldivian Twin Otter for seaplane ops

SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) has wet-leased a DHC-6-300 amphibian from Maldivian (Q2, Malé) for use in operating India's first-ever scheduled seaplane services, due to launch on October 31, 2020.

8Q-ISC (msn 321) was ferried from Malé via Kulhudhuffushi, Kochi Int'l, and Goa Dabolim to Kevadia, the site of the Statue of Unity commemorating independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel. It was subsequently used to operate a number of test flights between Kevadia and Ahmedabad, ahead of the planned launch of operations on the same route at the end of October.

SpiceJet initially plans to operate the route up to 4x daily. Kevadia-Ahmedabad flights have been awarded to the carrier under the RCS-UDAN government subsidization programme.

While it is unclear if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the inauguration of scheduled flights on October 31, the launch of seaplane operations has long been his ambition. Modi used to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat, of which Ahmedabad is the largest city, prior to his election to the...

Siam Seaplane set to partner Florida's Tropic Ocean Airways

Siam Seaplane (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) has signed a Letter Of Intent (LOI) with Tropic Ocean Airways (TI, Fort Lauderdale Int'l), a Florida-based seaplane operator, to "share expertise and skills as well as collaborate where relevant with any other third parties in their mutual objectives", including the sharing of aircraft.

As it works towards its launch, Siam Seaplane said it would employ Tropic Ocean Airways' existing amphibious airline business model, its US FAA-approved training program, and other existing resources for its operations. This includes its fleet of Cessna (single turboprop) 208B Grand Caravan EX amphibians.

Additionally, Tropic Ocean Airways and Siam Seaplane will work to develop and execute a territory-wide maritime search and rescue (SAR) and a disaster management program to improve resilience and responsiveness.

Tropic Ocean Airways will also assist Siam Seaplane to enact regulations for amphibious aircraft water landings through the sharing of best practices, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and internal controls. This will then enable Thailand to safely regulate amphibious aircraft traffic.

Tropic Ocean Airways currently operates eleven...

Thailand's Siam Seaplane targets 2Q20 launch