In a move that it hopes will give a boost to temple and nature tourism in the state, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), in association with Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR), recently kicked off the first seaplane service in the state: from the Juhu aerodrome in Mumbai to Pawna dam in touristy Lonavla. The 4-seater Cessna 206 and 9-seater Cessna 208, to be used for the 30-minute trip, are amphibian planes, designed to land on any water body that is at least 1 km long and 10 ft deep. The fare for a one-way ticket has been set at a competitive ₹2,999. Plans are afoot to start similar services in the near future to pilgrimage centres such as Shirdi and Trimbakeshwar and to hill stations such as Mahabaleshwar. Currently, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the only other place where such a service is on offer. Will Mumbaikars bite the seaplane bait when comfortable bus and taxi services to these locations start from as low as ₹500?