Budget carrier SpiceJet, which plans to buy more than 100 amphibian aircraft at an estimated cost of $400 million, may put these seaplanes into operations within one year.

The budget carrier today conducted the second phase of the seaplane trials at the Girgaum Chowpatty off Mumbai coast.

The demo flight, carried out in association with Japan's Setouchi Holdings was however, not without the hiccups as the poor visibility delayed its take off by over one-and-half-hour.

Under the first phase, trials were conducted in Nagpurand Guwahati.

The demo flight was conducted in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister for Road Transport, Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari and SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh.

"The whole idea is to have it (operations) within aspace of next 12 months. It should take 3-6 months to form rules. There is a lot of excitement about this plane for providing connectivity," Singh said.

Seaplane operations can bring the remotest parts of India into the mainstream aviation network without the high cost of building airports and runways, Singh added.  -- PTI

IMAGE: Seaplane carrying Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Gajapati Raju and Spice Jet MD Ajay Singh takes off from a temporary platform during a seaplane demonstration flight off the coast of Mumbai on Saturday. Photograph: Shirish Shete/PTI Photo