The milestone achieved by SkyHop Aviation has been praised as a defining moment for South Asian aviation. India’s entry into commercial seaplane operations has long been anticipated, given its vast network of rivers, reservoirs and coastal destinations ideally suited for amphibious aviation, said Iroshan Kulatunaga, a leading Sri Lankan seaplane specialist in the region.
Highlighting regional trends, he pointed out that South Asia already demonstrates the strong viability of seaplane transport, led by the Maldives. Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA), the world’s largest seaplane operator, operates a fleet of over 60 aircraft, connecting dozens of island resorts and handling one of the highest volumes of seaplane movements globally, making it the backbone of Maldivian tourism connectivity.
Alongside this, Manta Air continues to expand its operations with a growing fleet of Twin Otter seaplanes, further strengthening the Maldives’ highly efficient model of frequent, short-haul, water-based air transport.
He emphasized that this success clearly shows how seaplanes can efficiently connect remote or infrastructure-limited regions where building conventional airports is challenging. “India has an even larger untapped potential,” he noted, referencing the country’s expanding focus on water aerodromes and regional air connectivity.
He also commended Avani Singh, calling her leadership both pioneering and inspiring. He highlighted that having a woman founder and CEO leading India’s first commercial seaplane venture sends a strong signal for diversity, innovation and progress within the aviation sector.
He noted that the success of SkyHop Aviation could act as a catalyst for the wider South Asian region, including Sri Lanka to revisit and expand seaplane operations, unlocking new opportunities in tourism and regional connectivity.
He added that the airline is operating the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter as its initial aircraft type. Given Sri Lanka’s strong expertise in maintaining this aircraft, particularly through companies such as Ceylon Aeronautical Services (CAS) this development could open up new business avenues for the country’s seaplane industry, especially in maintenance, training and technical support services.
