Shillong: Meghalaya’s big bet on seaplanes is dead in the water. Six months after a showy launch at Umiam Lake, state officials admit they cannot find a single company to run the service. No private operator wants to lease or buy the planes needed for the job.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma recently dialed back expectations. He claims the November 2024 launch served only as a tech demo. It was never a formal government project. Sangma said, "The company that manufactures the aircraft is looking for a service provider to take the plane on lease or buy it and operate the service. The government is not getting a service provider."
The state once pitched the idea as a tourism breakthrough. They hoped to link Umiam with Kaziranga and Baljek Airport under the federal UDAN scheme. This program uses tax dollars to subsidize routes that are otherwise too expensive to fly. History shows these projects often tank once the subsidies vanish. Airlines frequently kill routes as soon as the free money stops flowing.
Plans for a water aerodrome at Umiam are now stuck in limbo. The government is holding onto a piece of aviation tech that no business wants to touch. For now, the dream of floating planes remains grounded.
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