The Maldivian seaplane, which was designated as an air ambulance to carry patients, is now being used to transport tourists to resorts due to low demand in carrying patients, Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen has said.
Adhadhu reported on Wednesday that the seaplane air ambulance service has been discontinued five months after its inauguration. Social media users raised questions and criticized the government over the matter.
Defending the government's decision, Minister Ameen said in a social media post that the demand to transport patients via seaplane had declined significantly in the last five months with no patients to travel in some months.
He said that patients could be transported in any one of Maldivian's seaplanes and that there was no need for a designated seaplane air ambulance.
Maldivian Managing Director Ibrahim Iyas had earlier told Adhadhu that the operations to carry patients in seaplanes would not stop.
The seaplane ambulance's colour has been changed to be included in the regular fleet of Maldivian.
A source familiar with the matter told Adhadhu that the decision to include the air ambulance in the general fleet was taken because it would not be cost-effective to have a separate seaplane to carry patients and resorts were facing difficulties in transporting tourists.
Maldivian has a total of 11 seaplanes. The government wanted to stop using Indian helicopters and aircraft to carry patients and designated a separate plane and seaplane as an air ambulance in order to fulfil a pledge made by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
A DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft carrying tourists in the Maldivian seaplane fleet was converted into an air ambulance on March 15. The air ambulance service was launched on March 1 with the Dash8-200 aircraft.
Speaking in Noonu Manadhoo island on December 29, President Muizzu said the seaplane and the Dash8 will be converted into an air ambulance with the necessary equipment. However, the interior of both aircraft had not been modified.
