Shipping Ministry looks to push sea plane ops in Andaman, Lakshadweep
- November 20, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Shipping Ministry looks to push sea plane ops in Andaman, Lakshadweep
Subject : Geography
Section: Places in news
Context:
- India’s Shipping Ministry has selected 10 locations, four across Andaman and six Lakshadweep, as probable ones to ramp up infrastructure and begin sea-plane operations in the initial phase.
Details:
- The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) will be setting up the infrastructure across these islands.
- The infrastructures include floating navigation systems, and water-aerodromes, among other requirements.
- Routes will be managed by private players.
- Locations of Andaman- Long Island, Neill Island, Havelock Island and Port Blair.
- Locations of Lakshadweep- Minicoy, Kavaratti and Agatti (the other 3 will be decided later).
- The seaplane routes will be awarded under the UDAN scheme.
- Airports Authority of India (AAI), has so far awarded 14 Water Aerodromes (sea plane routes) under UDAN, which include Sardar Sarovar Dam (Statue of Unity), Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad; Havelock Island, Neill Island, Long Island and Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Guwahati riverfront and Umrangso Reservoir in Assam; Nagarjuna Saga Dam in Telangana; Prakasam Barrage in Andhra Pradesh and Minicoy, Kavaratti, Agatti in Lakshadweep Islands.
UDAN Scheme:
- Launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for regional airport development and regional connectivity enhancement.
- It is a part of the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016.
- The scheme is applicable for a period of 10 years.
- Objectives:
- Improve the air connectivity to remote and regional areas of India.
- Development of remote areas and enhancing trade and commerce and tourism expansion.
- Enable common people to access air travel with affordable rates.
- Employment creation in the aviation sector.
- Currently, phase V (UDAN 5.0) of the scheme is under implementation.
- It focuses on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (>80 seats) aircrafts.
- There is no restriction on the distance between the origin and the destination of the flight.
Source: TH Businessline