Reaching Lakshadweep has long meant either a 10 to 20-hour sea voyage or a single, heavily booked flight into Agatti Island. That could change. Starting May 13, 2026, 12 trial seaplane flights will operate from Kochi, testing the viability of a commercial service connecting multiple islands across the archipelago.
The trials are being facilitated by Cochin International Airport Ltd alongside the DGCA, the Lakshadweep UT Administration, and the Airports Authority of India. The aircraft, a Twin Otter operated by SkyHop Aviation, India’s first DGCA-certified commercial seaplane operator, will cover two route clusters: Kochi to Agatti, Kalpeni, and Kavaratti, and Kochi to Kadmat, Kiltan, and Agatti, reaching islands that currently have no air connectivity at all.
The seaplane’s appeal here is geographical. Of Lakshadweep’s 36 coral islands, only Agatti has a functioning runway, and building conventional airport infrastructure on coral atolls risks serious ecological damage. A seaplane needs only the lagoon.
If the trials succeed and the service is brought under the UDAN scheme, fares could fall to between Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000, against current open-market prices of around Rs 12,000. Beyond tourism, a regularised service would also support medical evacuations and emergency supply runs across the islands.
