Jal Hans
Encyclopedia
Jal Hans is a commercial seaplane service based in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
. It is a pilot project that was launched on December 30, 2010 by the then Indian Civil Aviation Minister
, Praful Patel
, at Juhu Aerodrome
in Mumbai
. The airline is jointly owned by Pawan Hans
, India's largest helicopter services provider, and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and is run on an equal profit and loss basis between them.
Jal Hans is India's first commercial seaplane service. The service currently has one six-year old Cessna 208 A
, an amphibious aircraft
that cost around Rs. 8 crore
that has the capability of landing on most calm waters. It aims to promote tourism and connectivity by connecting far flung islands and backwaters with the mainland in a country that has a 7400-kilometre long shoreline. Initially Jal Hans started flying from Port Blair
to Havelock Island
, where Waterdrome infrastructure is being installed and then Diglipur
, again at a waterdrome. The first flight from Port Blair to Havelock Island took place on January 24, 2011, and was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bhopinder Singh
. Waterdrome facilities include speed boats to ferry passengers from the sea shore to the pontoons with a capacity of 10 passengers, sanitation, an inflatable boat and an inflatable jetty.
Jal Hans has exclusive rights to service Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a period of five years.
, Gujarat, Sundarbans
in West Bengal
and Puri
in Orissa
soon.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is a pilot project that was launched on December 30, 2010 by the then Indian Civil Aviation Minister
Ministry of Civil Aviation (India)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, India is responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in India.-References:**...
, Praful Patel
Praful Patel
Praful Manoharbhai Patel is a Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary constituency and is a member of the Nationalist Congress Party...
, at Juhu Aerodrome
Juhu Aerodrome
Juhu Aerodrome an airport serving Mumbai, was India's first civil aviation airport. It is currently used by small private aircraft and as a heliport....
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. The airline is jointly owned by Pawan Hans
Pawan Hans
Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited is a helicopter service company based in India. The operations are based at Vile Parle . Other than providing helicopter services to ONGC to its off-shore locations, this public sector company is often engaged for providing services to various state governments in...
, India's largest helicopter services provider, and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and is run on an equal profit and loss basis between them.
Jal Hans is India's first commercial seaplane service. The service currently has one six-year old Cessna 208 A
Cessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers...
, an amphibious aircraft
Amphibious aircraft
An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes that are equipped with retractable wheels, at the expense of extra weight and complexity, plus diminished range and fuel economy compared to planes...
that cost around Rs. 8 crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
that has the capability of landing on most calm waters. It aims to promote tourism and connectivity by connecting far flung islands and backwaters with the mainland in a country that has a 7400-kilometre long shoreline. Initially Jal Hans started flying from Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
to Havelock Island
Havelock Island
Havelock Island is the largest of the islands with an area of 113.93 km2 which comprise Ritchie's Archipelago, a chain of islands to the east of Great Andaman in the Andaman Islands. Havelock is situated 57 km North East of Capital City Port Blair...
, where Waterdrome infrastructure is being installed and then Diglipur
Diglipur
Diglipur is one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of North & Middle Andaman, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Diglipur is the largest and farthest town of North Andamans, 290 km from Port Blair.It is located at 13°16'0N 93°0'0E at...
, again at a waterdrome. The first flight from Port Blair to Havelock Island took place on January 24, 2011, and was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bhopinder Singh
Bhopinder Singh
Lt. Gen. Bhopinder Singh , a PVSM awardee Indian Army officer. He is presently the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands....
. Waterdrome facilities include speed boats to ferry passengers from the sea shore to the pontoons with a capacity of 10 passengers, sanitation, an inflatable boat and an inflatable jetty.
Jal Hans has exclusive rights to service Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a period of five years.
Expansion
The airline expects to expand to Lakshadweep Islands, backwaters in KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Gujarat, Sundarbans
Sundarbans
The Sundarbans [Sundarban Tour Booking-9051115228] is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language...
in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
soon.
Destinations
Jal Hans currently flies to the following destinations:- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- Port BlairPort BlairPort Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
- Veer Savarkar Airport - Havelock IslandHavelock IslandHavelock Island is the largest of the islands with an area of 113.93 km2 which comprise Ritchie's Archipelago, a chain of islands to the east of Great Andaman in the Andaman Islands. Havelock is situated 57 km North East of Capital City Port Blair...
- Havelock Waterdrome
- Port Blair
Fleet
As of January 2011 Jal Hans fleet includes:| Aircraft | In Service | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 208 A Cessna 208 The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers... |
1 | 8 | ||
| Total | 1 | |||