SkyHop Aviation is on course to become India's first commercial seaplane operator, after completing a test flight at the Ganga Barrage in Rishikesh on April 6, 2026. As per the reports of The Times of India, it executed both a water landing and take-off in what the company has called a pivotal regulatory milestone.
The trial was conducted using a modified De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter fitted with floats. The aircraft was previously operated by Big airline and repurposed for water-based operations after undergoing fresh modifications and certification. Though its Air Operating Certificate (AOC) is still pending from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), SkyHop's Rishikesh trial marks the clearest signal that India's water-based aviation sector is moving from policy ambition to operational readiness.
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a workhorse of remote-area aviation globally. It has a 19-seat turboprop with demonstrated short-field capability, a popular part of island and riverine services worldwide, from the Maldives to the Amazon.
SkyHop will start with the 19-seater aircraft and its initial stage will entail connecting five islands within Lakshadweep among themselves, as well as with the mainland. As per the publications of Hotelier India, the firm has been granted a no-objection certificate by the Civil Aviation Ministry in June 2025 and is in the process of receiving all regulatory clearances before it starts commercial services. The Rishikesh trial was supervised by aviation authorities and falls under the certification evidence under the AOC, which applies to all commercial passenger activities in India.
The test by SkyHop falls right into the growing regional connectivity agenda of the government. As per the reports of DD News, under UDAN Round 5.5, launched in 2025, the Ministry of Civil Aviation invited bids covering over 50 identified water bodies across the country, alongside issuing fresh seaplane operational guidelines in August 2024. According to the India aviation report by IATA, 583 RCS-UDAN routes were in operation by August, 2024, linking 86 airports, two of which are water aerodromes, and a total of 1.43 crore passengers have been served by the scheme.
Avani Singh, Founder and CEO of SkyHop Aviation, directly addressed the strategic intent:
"SkyHop is being built with a clear purpose: to improve access to places where conventional airports are either not viable or difficult to develop. We believe seaplanes can open up new routes, reduce travel time, and bring many remote regions closer to the rest of the country."— SAID BY Avani Singh, Founder and CEO of SkyHop Aviation
She also clarified that SkyHop has no operational association with SpiceJet, despite her being the daughter of Ajay Singh, reinforcing the company's distinct identity and independent strategic direction.
The Rishikesh trial clears one hurdle, but the harder work remains regulatory. The aviation market of India is currently serving about 180 million passengers each year, 136 million of which are domestic and 44 million are international. Yet connectivity gaps persist sharply: of 663 UDAN routes ever operationalised, only 336 remained active as of February 2026. This highlights the challenging economics of thin routes without structural underpinning. Seaplanes, with their light design and capability to operate on rivers and coastlines as a runway, are the most cost-efficient device in the toolbox of last-mile island and riverine connectivity. Therefore, the opportunity ahead for Shyhope looks hopeful, provided the AOC clears in time for SkyHop to launch before the Lakshadweep tourism season peaks.
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