Jal Hans
Jal Hans is a commercial seaplane service based in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is a pilot project that was launched on December 30, 2010 by the then Indian Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, at Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai. The airline is jointly owned by Pawan Hans, India's largest helicopter services provider,[1] and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and is run on an equal profit and loss basis between them.[2][3]
Jal Hans is India's first commercial seaplane service.[4] The service currently has one six-year old Cessna 208 A, an amphibious aircraft that cost around Rs. 8 crore that has the capability of landing on most calm waters.[4] It aims to promote tourism and connectivity by connecting far flung islands and backwaters with the mainland in a country that has a 7400-kilometre long shoreline. Initially Jal Hans started flying from Port Blair to Havelock Island, where Waterdrome infrastructure is being installed and then Diglipur, again at a waterdrome. The first flight from Port Blair to Havelock Island took place on January 24, 2011, and was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bhopinder Singh. Waterdrome facilities include speed boats to ferry passengers from the sea shore to the pontoons with a capacity of 10 passengers, sanitation, an inflatable boat and an inflatable jetty.[2][3][5]
Jal Hans has exclusive rights to service Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a period of five years.[4]
Expansion
The airline expects to expand to Lakshadweep Islands, backwaters in Kerala, Gujarat, Sundarbans in West Bengal and Puri in Orissa soon.[3]
Destinations
Jal Hans currently flies to the following destinations:
- India
- Port Blair - Veer Savarkar Airport
- Diglipur - Diglipur Waterdrome
- Havelock Island - Havelock Waterdrome
- Little Andaman - Hut Bay Waterdrome
Fleet
As of January 2011 Jal Hans fleet includes:
| Aircraft | In Service | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 208 A | 1 | 8 | ||
| Total | 1 | |||
See also
References
- ↑ "ONGC to raise stake to 49% in Pawan Hans". The Economic Times. 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "India’s seaplane makes its debut, takes off to the Andamans". Indian Express. 2010-12-28. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "First Indian seaplane service launched". Zee News. 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "First seaplane service launched". The Hindu. 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ↑ "Commercial seaplane service begins in Andaman". IBN. 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
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