In a rare incident, a seaplane from Male to Goa, landed in the backwaters off the Naval Base in Kochi for refuelling, on Sunday afternoon.
The seaplane, owned by a company headquartered in Gurgaon, is said to be the first to commence operations in India. It had on board half a dozen crew members, including technical crew. It landed on the waterbody between the Naval Base and Cochin Shipyard, beside ships berthed on either side.
The seaplane will initially operate service in northern India and is set to be inaugurated on October 31. To be operated by Spicejet Airlines, it is slated to operate eight flights between Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and Statue of Unity in Kevadia, sources said.
Seaplanes, capable of attaining the speed of aircraft, are fixed-wing aircraft designed to take off and land on water.