Kochi to Munnar in 25 minutes by seaplane: Expected fares, booking platforms and environmental concerns | Trip

It takes approximately 3 hours to reach Munnar by road from Cochin International Airport and 3.5 hours from Ernakulam railway station. Once the seaplane service, which is on trial, starts, you can reach Munnar from Kochi by seaplane in less than 25 minutes. Currently, tourists travel to Munnar using Neriaymangalam and Adimali routes. Approximately 14.1 kilometers of this route passes through forest areas. Since night travel is risky here, tourists leave Munnar around noon.
Such travel restrictions often impact Munnar’s tourism prospects, especially during off-season. Officials hope that if travel time is reduced significantly, tour companies will bring more international tourists to Munnar and nearby areas. Additionally, in case of emergency, patients can be transported via seaplane service from Munnar, where medical facilities are limited to Kochi. This will also benefit the people of the nearby hamlets of Kanthalloor and Marayoor.

The seaplane service was launched under the central government’s UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik) project, which aims to improve air connectivity to remote and regional parts of India. The project also encourages tourists and ordinary people to travel to tourist spots in the villages by planes. The 17-seat seaplane belonging to the Canada-based de Havilland company successfully completed its test flight here with the support of Spice Jet.

Ticket fees
Since Kochi – Munnar seaplane ticket prices are in the trial phase, the authorities have not announced them yet. However, one-way fares are likely to start from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000, considering the charges charged in the past for similar services from Gurugram to Statue of Liberty, now defunct, under the UDAN scheme. Tickets were sold primarily through the spicehuttle.com website, as well as other platforms. Seaplanes generally fly only during daylight hours, from sunrise to sunset. The standard allowed baggage weight on seaplanes is 25 kg – 20 kg as check-in baggage and 5 kg as cabin baggage.

Will seaplanes disrupt elephant movement?
Meanwhile, the forest department has expressed concerns that seaplane sound may disrupt elephant movement in Mattupetty. There are ten wild elephants in the forest area here. They often come to Mattupetty dam and nearby areas to drink water. The whirring sound of a seaplane propeller can scare elephants. Therefore, senior officials of the forest department urged officials of KSEB, Cochin International Airport and tourism department to abandon the recent move to land the seaplane in Mattupetty reservoir. The seaplane, which was initially planned to land at Idukki dam, was later shifted to Mattupetty following the objection of the forest department.