Bhubaneswar- The Civil Aviation Ministry will restart seaplane operations on at least two routes in India by October, Union Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu said have on August 25, 2025.

Addressing the Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers Conference, Naidu said, “Seaplane operation was there once, but it was limited to a single route.

The government has simplified the guidelines to operate seaplanes and we hope that by October, we will have two seaplanes in the country operating either on the Anadaman & Nicobar, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh network.”

He added that the service could also be extended to Orissa’s Chilika Lake and the entire eastern coast.

“The service can be started on any water body where you have more than five feet depth and 200 meters of landing space,” he said.

Naidu said the norms for setting up a Water-drome, training pilots, the rules and regulations governing seaplane operations have been simplified.

He urged airline operators present at the conference to explore the opportunity. Saying “There is huge potential for seaplane services, which is being missed out today.”

The minister also urged states to come forward with innovative ideas and new locations to expand the network.

Stating that there is a growing demand for Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), Naidu said, “Right now, 1,700 planes are on order. Each aircraft requires 20 to 30 pilots to meet the demand India alone,” he said.

He added that as India aspires to become a global leader in civil aviation, FTOs need to be of international level.

Chief Minister Mohan Charn Majhi inaugurated the conference in the presence of Naidu, MoS Civil Aviation Mohal Murlidhar, Chhattisgarh, Minister Om Prakash Choudhary and senior officers of the civil aviation ministry and eastern states.