Jekta, a Swiss-based company developing a brand new all-electric commercial seaplane, has confirmed an order for 50 PHA-ZE 100 aircraft from Indian seaplane operator, Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR).
The deal includes deposits for the first 10 aircraft (the other 40 are options) to be delivered from 2029, by which time Jektat expects the PHA-ZE 100 to have completed its certification process and enter serial production.
The first 10 aircraft have been ordered in the standard 19-seat configuration and are intended to fulfil regional services within India.
“We want to be one of the first aviation companies in the world to operate a zero-emissions aircraft to support regional flights between land and water infrastructure,” stated Siddharth Verma, director of MEHAIR in an official announcement.
Mumbai-based MEHAIR has been operating seaplanes in India since 2011 and participates in the UDAN program, an Indian government project to boost air connectivity at underserved, regional airports throughout the country by providing a number of subsidies and other incentives.
In the context of unmitigated growth within the Indian air travel industry, with major Indian airlines ordering hundreds of aircraft to serve booming demand between major population centers, seaplanes are also expected to play a complementary role by connecting rural seaside communities as well as those located adjacent to India’s internal waterways.