India’s Seaplane Service Provider Orders 50 Swiss PHA-ZE 100 Aircraft

Mumbai-based MEHAIR, India’s first and only seaplane service, has inked an agreement with Switzerland-based JEKTA for 50 units of 19-seat ELECTRIC seaplanes for deployment in India.

This is the single biggest order in terms of 19 seat aircraft, seaplanes or electric aircraft ever.

With this agreement, MEHAIR will be the first customer to receive the aircraft in Asia, with initial deliveries starting in 2029. It is anticipated that the first ten aircraft will be delivered in baseline configuration for 19 passengers to support regional connectivity.

“Blessed with a 7,400 km long coastline and a rich diversity of rivers, lakes, backwaters and dams, India is readying for the upcoming amphibious aircraft revolution. It is both the fastest-growing aviation market as well as the single largest untapped seaplane geography in the world, and the PHA-ZE 100 checks all the boxes for meeting this upcoming seaplane potential. The next 25 years will be as much a seaplane era as it will be for general aviation in India,” says Siddharth Verma, Director of MEHAIR.

The electrically-powered, all-composite PHA-ZE 100 amphibious airframe will be certified to EASA CS-23 and U.S. FAA FAR-23 standards for fixed-wing passenger aircraft. Powered by ten electric motors supplied with energy from batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, the PHA-ZE 100’s initial flight endurance on battery power is projected at one hour, with a 30-minute reserve.

The PHA-ZE 100 will operate from coastal waters in waves up to 1.2m high, lakes, waterways, and runways using its standard retractable wheeled landing gear.