Pawan Hans to acquire 10 sea planes by 2017

After successfully completing the trial run of India’s first amphibian or sea plane, Pawan Hans, the state-run helicopter services operator, plans to procure 10 more sea planes under the 12th Five Year Plan that runs till 2017.

The company will float tender for the `120 crore order once the government sanctions the project.

In December 2010, Pawan Hans had taken sea plane, Cessna 208A, on a wet lease for six months as a pilot project. A seaplane can land and take off from both land and water surfaces.

Company officials said the pilot project has been successful and these new planes would be deployed for promoting tourism, coastal surveillance and medical evacuation purposes.

As there are no domestic sea-plane manufacturers, Pawan Hans would call for bids from foreign players for buying these planes.
In addition, three new medium helicopters are expected to join the Pawan Hans fleet in the next two to three months and another two heavy helicopters by mid 2012. This would entail an investment of about Rs250 crore. Company officials said the funding model for this investment is yet to be worked out and would be a mix of debt and internal accruals.

Meanwhile, state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has increased its stake in Pawan Hans from 21% to 49%, increasing its equity in the helicopter company to Rs120.35 crore. Pawan Hans’s total equity now stands at Rs245.62 crore.