Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) has signed an LoI for 50 ME-1A amphibious aircraft with Mallard Enterprises.

MEHAIR is the proud pioneer of seaplane services in India since 2011 and to date remains the only seaplane operator in the sub-continent. Seeking a transition to green aviation in line with its vision, the company has proactively moved towards becoming an early adopter of sustainable aviation technologies for the fastest growing aviation market in the world. Amphibious aircraft possess the ability to seamlessly transition between land and water, offering unparalleled access to new destinations. The pioneering spirit of the MEHAIR management, spurred by the Government of India's UDAN initiative to provide 'last mile' connectivity has brought the company to the cusp of an extraordinary opportunity.

“MEHAIR is committed to promoting a robust amphibious seaplane industry in India. With the world committed to net zero, MEHAIR remains conscious of its responsibility to contribute towards this objective and has identified Mallard Enterprises as its premier partner for achieving this goal. We are confident that these new generation ME-1A amphibious aircraft of 21st century design will provide reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable connectivity solutions for our customers,” says managing director Siddharth.

The ME-1A is a regional amphibious aircraft that can land and take off from land or water, with a standard seating capacity of up to 19 passengers, offering low emissions, low noise pollution, faster speed, and low operating costs. It will have a range of over 350 nautical miles (648 kilometres) with 19 passengers and luggage, and an extended range of 980 nautical miles (1,815 kilometres) with a 10 passenger VIP configuration, all including typical airline reserves.

“As the pioneering modern seaplane company in India, we're extremely pleased to be part of MEHAIR's commitment to the growth of a robust amphibious seaplane industry” says Dan Peabody, co-founder and CEO at Mallard Enterprises. “The ME-1A, with its competitive economics, amphibious capability, speed and green credentials, fits very well with MEHAIR's vision, and we see not only the opportunity to connect many existing regional routes, but also open many more new ones.”

“MEHAIR is at the forefront of launching modern seaplane services in India and is moving rapidly towards a pan-India seaplane presence. We are happy to collaborate with MEHAIR with our ME-1A 19 passenger hull based amphibious aircraft to support the growth of seaplanes in India,” adds Mohan Chunduri, co-founder and COO at Mallard Enterprises.

Mallard Enterprises has also receive an LoI for three of its seaplanes from FlyJet Aviation.

“With the latest technology platform the ME-1A amphibious aircraft of Mallard Enterprises is an ideal addition to our diverse aircraft fleet. It will extend our reach to previously inaccessible destinations with a safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable travel experience for our customers,” says FlyJet president Jigisha Parmar.

“We are honoured to be a part of FlyJet Aviation's vision of launching UDAN routes to many remote destinations in India. Mallard Enterprises is a leader in the resurgence of the amphibious aircraft segment in India and the world,” adds Chunduri.