PANJIM: After the successful launch of hot air balloons and amphibious vehicles earlier this month, Tourism department is set to introduce seaplanes in River Mandovi this Saturday. The project, in partnership with Captain of Ports (CoP), will take off fully in the coming tourist season.
“The seaplane will be officially launched on Saturday and it will be on trial run for some time. The coming tourist season will see tourists enjoying the seaplane ride,” Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told Herald.
The adventure ride recently obtained the required clearances from the Director General of Civil Aviation besides CoP to kick-off the project in River Mandovi.
The tourism department had aimed at launching these three ambitious projects – hot air ballooning, amphibious vehicle and seaplanes – by May-end.
The government, while announcing the project last November had disclosed that Mumbai-based seaplane operator – Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (MEHAIR) – had been roped in to start the seaplane venture from Vasco to Dona Paula, Coco beach in Nerul, Miramar and Siolim river.
As per the project, the eight-seater seaplane will pick up passengers at Dabolim airport and fly them to their destination, for instance, Coco beach in just seven minutes. It will land in the water close to a floating jetty onto which the passengers will alight, and smaller boats will ferry them to the shore.
The hot air balloon and the amphibious vehicle projects were launched on May 9.
