Alappuzha: A day after the deadline, mentioned in a newspaper advertisement inviting seaplane operators, the Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL), the nodal agency for it, claimed that the ambitious project was still on the cards.
Responding to DC, KTIL managing director Mr S Anilkumar said on Sunday that there was no question of giving up or stonewalling the project. “The present weather conditions in the State are unfavourable for conducting a seaplane service. It's not possible to run even a ferry service. Hence, no operator has started the service in the published time period. Not only in Kerala, but this is the situation in the neighbouring states and in countries that operate seaplanes,” he claims.
Denying the fact that the project had been postponed, he said that KTIL had completed all ground works in this regard so that the project could be launched as early as possible. A mainstream newspaper advertisement, inviting seaplane operators with offers of special incentives, was published by KTIL on August 14, setting the deadline as October 31.
Earlier, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had said that the much-awaited seaplane service would become operational before Onam.
