Japan's Setouchi Holdings to launch a seaplane operation in Maldives

Setouchi Holdings, a Japanese company, has entered a joint-venture agreement with Maldives' national airline operator, Island Aviation Services, to launch a seaplane operation -Sky Atoll Private- in the country.

According to Aviation International News (AIN), the seaplane operation will initially operate four Quest Kodiak 100s. Reports state that Maldivian company has already placed orders for the four Kodiaks.

AIN noted that Sky Atoll Private Kodiak's will be equipped with Aerocet 6750 straight float, which was certified on the turboprop single earlier this year.

According to Quest Aircraft, Setouchi Holdings' parent company, they are currently working on a launch date, but added that they expect it to be 'soon'.

Noting that seaplanes are the 'primary source' source of travel between the Maldives' 1,200 islands, Quest emphasized that 'the scale of seaplane operations is among the largest in the world'.

Maldives' own Trans Maldivian Airways, a private airline, operates the world's largest seaplane fleet in the world.