Centre rolls out guidelines for seaplane operations in India

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All India Radio News on X: "Union Minister of Civil Aviation #RammohanNaidu launches the guidelines for seaplane operation under RCS-UDAN in New Delhi. 🔸The guidelines prioritize the safety and security of #seaplane

Context

Union Minister for Civil Aviation, has launched the Guidelines for Seaplane Operations in India under RCS-UDAN.

About Seaplane Operations

  • Seaplanes can land and take off from the ocean.
  • Waterdromes are for landing and taking off seaplanes.
  • India had seaplane operations in Andaman & Nicobar in addition to in Gujarat but they couldn’t sustain for long. 
  • The government plans to set up water aerodromes at 18 places spread across Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Goa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. 

Guidelines for Seaplane Operations

  • The comfortable norms are aimed toward encouraging seaplane operations below the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik).
  • The suggestions prioritise the protection and safety of seaplane operations and surely define the duties of every stakeholder, from the operators to the regulatory bodies.
  • There can be no need for a waterdrome license and compliance necessities have also been reduced. 
  • Fresh Commercial Pilot License (CPL) holders can now directly gain seaplane rankings with the intention to allow them to fly seaplanes.
  • The revised guidelines integrated simpler training necessities and simplified approval approaches for seaplane operations.
  • The new recommendations permit non-scheduled entities to function such services and install a simplified certificate method. 

Other Initiatives

  • The minister also launched the 5.4 model of the UDAN.
  • Under UDAN 5.4, sparkling bids could be invited for the routes which have been cancelled for some purpose or the opposite, to provide connectivity on unserved routes. 
  • After the achievement of RCS-UDAN, the government is considering proposing RCS-UDAN 2.0 for the subsequent 10 years.

UDAN

  • The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) is an initiative to enhance infrastructure and connectivity in India, especially in remote and underserved regions. 
  • It is a vital element of India’s National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in 2016, with a 10-year vision.
  • The first RCS-UDAN flight was inaugurated in 2017, connecting Shimla to Delhi. 
  • The scheme specializes in enhancing unserved air routes in underserved areas of the country and satisfying the aspirations of the common residents.

Significance

  • The integration of seaplanes into the existing aviation machine will provide ultimate-mile connectivity to the areas which have remained isolated due to geographical challenges. 
  • This new mode of transportation will offer faster and greater snug travel to these areas however also open up new avenues for monetary growth, in particular inside the tourism region.
  • The country is uniquely placed to leverage the ability of seaplane operations and the government is devoted to unlocking the capacity and remodeling coastlines, rivers, lakes, and islands for connectivity, avenues of monetary opportunity, and pathways to inclusive development.

Source: PIB

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