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The seaplane service between the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Narmada district and Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad has been suspended for 15 days after the Twin Otter 300 plane flew to its dwelling nation, Maldives, for a upkeep schedule on Saturday. The service, run by the SpiceJet underneath the banner of Spice Shuttle, will probably be resumed after the seaplane returns to India by December 15, officers stated.
On Saturday, the seaplane took off for Male in the Maldives, the place it’s set to endure “major maintenance” at a hanger in an aerodrome facility, Gujarat authorities officers stated.
This is the second time since its inauguration on October 31 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the seaplane service has been suspended for upkeep. The first “routine maintenance” of the plane was carried out three days after its inauguration when the services have been suspended for two days.
Captain Ajay Chauhan, the Director of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat, instructed The Sunday Express the seaplane needed to be despatched to the Maldives as it’s registered in that nation and since India doesn’t but have a hangar facility for upkeep of seaplanes.
“The seaplane has to mandatorily undergo maintenance at various levels, depending on its flying hours and distance covered. This is a major maintenance and occurs after every stipulated flying hours. Since its arrival, the seaplane has flown for a significant number of hours, including its journey to reach India,” Chauhan stated.
He added this sort of main upkeep wanted to be carried out in a hangar “but we do not have a hangar for seaplanes right now in India. The seaplanes cannot land on runways meant for regular flights, so it cannot be taken to the Ahmedabad airport for maintenance”.
Chauhan stated the seaplane service would begin instantly after the aircraft returned to India by December 15. “Currently, the SpiceJet has wet-leased the 19-seater Twin Otter 300 seaplane from Maldivian Aero. Under the agreement, the Maldives provides SpiceJet with the entire service, insurance, operations and maintenance as well as crew in lieu of a fee. Carrying out maintenance of a flight also has to adhere to some guidelines of the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) but for that, the aircraft has to be registered in India, which is not the case with this seaplane,” he stated.
An govt of the SpiceJet stated such routine upkeep was obligatory for the “smooth functioning” of the seaplane services and a hangar to hold out upkeep of the seaplane would quickly be prepared in Ahmedabad.
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