Mysuru: The much-anticipated seaplane project demonstration, scheduled for tomorrow, Nov. 10, at the backwaters of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Mandya district, has been cancelled.

The demonstration was intended to introduce the project to the public and tourists, offering a firsthand experience of the seaplane operations.

As part of the plan, a seaplane was to take off from Mysore Airport at Mandakalli carrying 19 tourists and land on the KRS backwaters. The initiative is being spearheaded by the Karnataka State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC). In an email to the KSIIDC Managing Director on Nov. 8, Yogesh Garg, Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific & Middle-East, M/s De Havilland, announced the cancellation of the demonstration.

The email stated, “Due to unforeseen technical issues, we will not be able to conduct the seaplane demonstration at K.R. Sagar Dam as planned. We remain committed to showcasing this demonstration at a future date, as soon as scheduling permits, and will keep you updated on the revised timing.”

The project, aimed at boosting tourism, was launched under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik).

Ahead of the proposed demonstration, a detailed technical inspection of the landing site was conducted on the evening of Oct. 20.

The inspection was led by Tharanath S. Rathod, Executive Engineer, Ports Division, Ports and Inland Water Transport Department. The team assessed two potential landing sites near the Venugopalaswamy Temple and Anandur village by boat, evaluating water conditions, depth and the technical requirements for seaplane operations.

Kerala’s first seaplane service from Nov. 11

Kerala Tourism and Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas will flag off the seaplane service on Monday, Nov. 11. A Switzerland-based private company and SpiceJet are the service operators of De Havilland Canada seaplane. The seaplane will land at the Cochin International Airport, Kochi on Monday at 2 pm and then fly down to the water aerodrome at Bolgatty Palace. Later, the flight crew and passengers will be welcomed at Mattupetty Dam, Idukki.