Gujarat is all set to have its first seaplane service inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31 on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s 146th birth anniversary.
The seaplane service Spice Shuttle, operated by Spice Jet, will offer air connectivity from Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad to Statue of Unity in Kevadia in Narmada district in Gujarat.
The seaplane took off from Male in the Maldives and reached Gujarat on October 26. It will undergo several tests and checks before its first official flight.
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Spice Shuttle tweeted about the first seaplanes landing in Gujarat.
The one-of-a-kind seaplane that will give flight to a million dreams made its way to Kevadia (Statue of Unity) at 12.30 pm yesterday from Maldives. In the next few days it will undergo extensive trials, following which it will be all set to take off, starting October 31st, 2020. pic.twitter.com/Fkgbdp3Qdj
— Spice Shuttle (@flySpiceShuttle) October 27, 2020
Spice Shuttle will operate four flights a day between Ahmedabad and Kevadia – four arrivals and four departures on each side.
The Twin Otter 300 seaplane leased by SpiceJet will take 45 minutes to cover the distance between Ahmedabad and Kevadia. If one had to make the journey by road, it would take four hours to cover the 200 kilometers distance.
The 19-seater plane will accommodate 14 passengers at a time. The cost per person for a one-way journey is Rs4,800.
Dr. Rajiv Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest and Environment Department and MD of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam posted a video of the seaplane’s trial run on Twitter.
The one-of-a-kind seaplane that will give flight to a million dreams made its way to Kevadia (Statue of Unity) at 12.30 pm yesterday from Maldives. In the next few days it will undergo extensive trials, following which it will be all set to take off, starting October 31st, 2020. pic.twitter.com/Fkgbdp3Qdj
— Spice Shuttle (@flySpiceShuttle) October 27, 2020
