MEHAIR Orders 50 Amphibious Aircraft for Seaplane Operations

Mumbai, Jul 22 (PTI) Domestic seaplane operator Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) on Monday said it has ordered up to 50 amphibious aircraft from the US-based Mallard Enterprises as it looks to re-launch operations in the December quarter this year.

The order was announced at the Farnborough International Air Show in England, which started on July 22.

MEHAIR has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for 50 ME-1A amphibious aircraft with Mallard Enterprises at the Farnborough Airshow, the company said in a statement.

"We are confident that these new generation ME-1A amphibious aircraft of 21st-century design will provide reliable, economical, and environmentally sustainable connectivity solutions for our customers," said Siddharth Verma, Managing Director at MEHAIR.

The company, which started operations in 2011 but later discontinued it, said it is looking to re-launch seaplane services from the fourth quarter of 2024 with a fleet of amphibious aircraft deployed towards the UDAN and other routes.

ME-1A is a regional amphibious airplane, which can land and take off from land or water, with a standard seating capacity of up to 19 passengers offering low emissions, low noise pollution, faster speed, and low operating costs.

It will have a range of over 350 nautical miles (648 kilometres) with 19 passengers and luggage and an extended range of 980 nautical miles (1815 kilometres) with a 10-passenger VIP configuration, all including typical airline reserves, MEHAIR said.

"The ME-1A, with its competitive economics, amphibious capability, speed, and green credentials, fits very well with MEHAIR's vision, and we see not only the opportunity to connect many existing regional routes but also open many more new ones," said Dan Peabody, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Mallard Enterprises.

"We are moving rapidly towards a pan-India seaplane presence. We are happy to collaborate with MEHAIR with our ME-1A 19 passenger hull-based amphibious aircraft to support the growth of seaplanes in India," said Mohan Chunduri, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Mallard Enterprises.