Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Civil Aviation is set to relaunch seaplane services on at least two routes across India by October, as announced by Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu during a conference in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Naidu explained that while seaplane operations previously existed, they were restricted to a single route. The government has now streamlined the guidelines for these operations, aiming to have two seaplanes functioning by October, potentially in regions like the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Kerala, or Andhra Pradesh.

He also mentioned the possibility of extending services to Odisha's Chilika Lake and along the eastern coastline.

According to Naidu, operations can commence on any water body that has a depth of over five feet and at least 200 meters of landing space.

The minister highlighted that the regulations for establishing waterdromes, training pilots, and the overall framework for seaplane operations have been made more accessible.

He encouraged airline operators at the conference to seize this opportunity, noting the significant potential for seaplane services that is currently untapped.

Naidu also called on state governments to propose innovative ideas and new locations to broaden the operational network.

With an increasing demand for Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), he stated, "Currently, there are 1,700 aircraft on order, each requiring 20 to 30 pilots. We need to train 3,000 pilots annually to meet domestic demand."

He emphasized that as India aims to become a leader in civil aviation, FTOs must meet international standards.

To facilitate this, the Ministry plans to introduce a ranking system for FTOs in India starting in October.

The conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, alongside Naidu, MoS Civil Aviation Mohol Murlidhar, Chhattisgarh Minister Om Prakash Choudhary, and senior officials from the civil aviation ministry and eastern states.