Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Jan 17: Low-cost carrier SpiceJet on December 28,2020 had expressed its inability to use amphibian planes for Andaman and Nicobar routes. As per reports the Airlines had requested the Airport Authority of India to set up the infrastructure for water-to-water flight operations in Andaman. The AAI, which has planned for a water aerodrome at Port Blair, could not set up the infrastructure for the purpose on time, the Airlines had told nation media earlier.
Now Andaman Sheekha has learnt that the Administration is making serious efforts to complete ground works for water-to-water flight operations of Sea Planes in Andaman by October 2021.
As per details due to poor participation of earlier tender, the work could not be completed on time and also there were some re-designing of infrastructure for water-to-water flight operations by IIT Chennai, for which the delay happened.
It is learnt that after re-designing works, tenders will be floated again by March 2021 and by October 2021 this entire process might be completed.
Earlier, last year the Directorate of Civil Aviation, A & N Administration had floated an Open Tender inviting bids from operators for wet lease of a single engine (5-10 passenger capacity) amphibian seaplane for resumption of the seaplane services, which was discontinued in April, 2014.
As per details, the construction work of infrastructure for the water aerodrome will be executed by ALHW.
