No destination in Odisha is among the list of those under seaplane operation across the country envisaged by the Centre. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is initiating the process of commencing operations of the service on select routes under a special purpose vehicle (SPV) framework through prospective airline operators.But no destination is Odisha is in the list it though State has a lot of scope for such facilities.
Tourism experts had planned for three routes in Odisha, which have commercial as well as tourism importance -- Bhubaneswar to Puri via Chilika lake, Bhubaneswar to Chandipur via Bhitarkanika National Park and Bhubaneswar to Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur. However, they are not listed in the proposed Origin-Destination pairs under Hub and Spoke model. Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has stated that initiation of seaplane operations aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Modi to improve connectivity across nation.