The first commercial seaplane in Maharashtra prepares for takeoff at the Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai. The service will connect Mumbai with Pawana Lake in the popular tourist destination of Lonavala. (AFP Photo)

Workers push the seaplane. (AFP Photo)

MUMBAI: The Mumbai-Lonavala seaplane service , which launched on Monday from Juhu aerodrome , was delayed by almost an hour and 30 minutes due to visibility issues and an enthusiastic media contingent, which crowded around the plane clicking photos.“The Air Traffic Control gave us a 10-minute clearance around 11am but since we couldn’t clear the space, we missed that time slot,” said a spokesperson for Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd (Mehair), which runs the service along with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.While seven passengers boarded the Cessna 208 Amphibian at 11.55am, only three returned around two hours later to a red carpet—or rather, a red staircase—welcome. Real estate consultant Vishesh Verma described the experience as “superb” and “amazing”.The plane, which flies at a height of around 7,000 feet, gives passengers a bird’s eye view of the city. “It’s different from flying in a normal aircraft because the clouds are all around you and you can see what you are flying over the entire time,” added Verma. According to him, the service will be a boon for Lonavala’s tourism and so, by extension, its economy and infrastructure.The plane, which landed on Pavana dam’s catchment area in Lonavla, was manned by Captain Priyanka Manuja, who has been flying sea planes for Mehair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands since the past three years. While the outbound journey took around 27 minutes, the inbound flight lasted 20 minutes. After landing on the dam, passengers were whisked to a small resort via a speed boat from where they could take other modes of transport.Even while alighting, none of them showed the slightest hint of trepidation, though the youngest passenger was only nine. “Everyone loved it and the nine-year-old was the most excited person on board,” said Manuja. Verma described the spot as extremely scenic. “There was water all around us and a backdrop of hills and clouds.”Anant Rao Patil, a resident of Talegaon, says this was his first trip to Mumbai that didn’t involve traffic jams and the constant shifting of gears. “It was a very luxurious way to travel.”Mehair plans to have only one flight back-and-forth from Monday to Thursday and two on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost each way is Rs 2,999.It also plans to start services to Mula dam near Shirdi, Gangapur dam in Nashik, Dhoom dam near Mahabaleshwar and Aamby Valley.