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Mumbai company to build SAARC region’s first seaplane maintenance unit

MEHAIR will set up the maintenance, overhaul and repair unit in Gujarat, will save enormous monetary resources on ferry flights.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

India may have just a couple of seaplanes since their launch in 2011 in the Indian subcontinent but the country is all set to have the first Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for single engine seaplanes in the entire SAARC region.

Being the brainchild of MEHAIR, the private company which has pioneered the launch of seaplanes in India, the MRO is being proposed to be set up in Gujarat. The company signed an MoU with the Gujarat Government on the first day of the Vibrant Gujarat event at 1100 Hrs in the presence of the State Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and other senior dignitaries. The MRO is being planned next to Bhadar dam close to Amreli Airport so that both the amphibian type and straight float type seaplanes can be accommodated for servicing in the facility.  The MRO is likely to be up and running within the next 18 months subject the grant of land and other statutory approvals from the state and central authorities.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddharth Verma, Co-Founder and Director of the company said, “Such a facility will not only cater to the seaplane population of India but also the growing seaplane numbers around India in the SAARC region. As of now these planes need to go to the USA, Europe or Australia thereby having to spend a lot of money on the ferry flights as well as the high cost of labour in these countries. India will provide an excellent next door facility plus economies of lower cost to the seaplane fleets of the SAARC region. Additionally it will earn Indian valuable foreign exchange, generate jobs and make Gujarat the nodal point for seaplanes.”

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Deal with it

Juhu to Girgaon in 10 minutes soon?

Intra-city seaplane flight between Juhu and Girgaon chowpatty was successfully tested very recently, while crucial clearances were obtained for operations.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

If this flight becomes operational soon, Mumbaikars are in for a really pleasant ride.

The city’s wait for intra-city seaplane flights between Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty is soon coming to an end. The city witnessed a successful trial of the Juhu to Girgaum-Chowpatty flight on October 22, 2014. MEHAIR, along with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), has been working on the project for nearly two years and has already obtained crucial clearances from several authorities, including a nod from the Ministry of Defence, Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Mumbai Police, Urban Development Department, BMC, Mumbai Port Trust, Environment Department and the Airports Authority of India.

MEHAIR is already operating daily seaplane flights between Mumbai and Pawna Dam and has successfully conducted trial landings of its seaplane in Mula Dam (Meherabad/Shirdi) for which the commercial operations are being launched from early next month. The seaplane to be operational within Mumbai is the company’s Cessna 208A amphibian aircraft, which will take off from Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai and touch down in Girgaum chowpatty about 10 minutes later. By road, the estimated travel time between the two points is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddharth Verma, co-founder and director, MEHAIR, said, “With the commercial launch of the service, Mumbai will become one of the few cities in the world that have a seaplane service originating in the heart of the business district. We are confident that the public at large will see the value of the service and take full advantage of it.”

He added that a seaplane offers the public the “last mile connectivity”. He said, “Essentially a seaplane service begins where normal airliners end, and therefore, offers connectivity from the last airport to areas even beyond which are remote but have suitable water bodies that can accomodate seaplane operations.”

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