On April 16, 2026, Uttarakhand achieved a long-awaited civil aviation milestone as a 19-seater seaplane successfully completed its trial landing on Tehri Lake, marking the practical commencement of seaplane operations in the Himalayan State. The aircraft took off from Jolly Grant Airport near Dehradun and landed at Koti Colony in the Tehri Lake area, demonstrating the suitability of the reservoir as an operational water aerodrome. Tehri Lake, formed by the Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi and Bhilangna rivers, is among Asia's largest man-made lakes with a surface area of about 42 square kilometres at an altitude of around 1,700 metres. It already powers the 2,400 MW Tehri Hydro Power Complex and supports drinking water supply to Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh. The seaplane initiative is the outcome of a long-standing Memorandum of Understanding between the Uttarakhand Government and the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for developing a water aerodrome on Tehri Lake under the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The Pushkar Singh Dhami government plans to extend such services in a phased manner to Nainital Lake and other major reservoirs, positioning Uttarakhand as India's premier seaplane destination, and to integrate this with regional tourism, char dham access during snow-bound months, and disaster-relief logistics. Operators have indicated that commercial schedules will follow regulatory clearances from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.