SEAPLANE / FLOATPLANE CONSULTANCY · EDWARD ALSFORD

Seaplane / Floatplane Expertise.
Built on operating experience.

Independent seaplane / floatplane consultancy and strategic advice for operators, investors, aircraft owners and aviation businesses.

Work with Edward Alsford, a seaplane / floatplane consultant whose background combines large-scale commercial seaplane / floatplane operations with airline start-up experience.

Explore how I can help

Manta Air DHC-6-300 Twin Otter on floats beside a Maldivian beach — Manta Air DHC-6-300 series, MSN 844 — the last manufactured DHC-6-300 series aircraft.

25+ years in aviation leadershipFormer airline Accountable ManagerUK-based · International projects

FROM THE FIRST QUESTION TO THE NEXT STAGE

Build the right operation.

Seaplane / floatplane expertise for the decisions that shape your business: the fleet, the facilities, the regulatory pathway and the people behind it.

Seaplane / Floatplane Start-up & AOC Support

Shape your operating model and launch priorities. Coordinate aircraft, teams and regulatory engagement as you prepare for an Air Operator Certificate.

Twin Otter Operations Advice

Independent DHC-6 advice on fleet planning, aircraft acquisition and leasing, entry into service and operational expansion.

Resort Aviation & Infrastructure

Bring passenger experience and operational requirements together. Plan the terminals, waterfront facilities and maintenance support a seaplane / floatplane service needs.

Board & Investor Advisory

Commercial strategy and executive or board-level advice, bringing an operator’s perspective to investment, growth and operational decisions.

Blue and yellow Trans Maldivian Airways Twin Otter seaplanes / floatplanes at their operating base — Trans Maldivian Airways seaplanes / floatplanes — circa 2012

LEADING A SEAPLANE / FLOATPLANE BUSINESS

Experience at scale.

From September 2008 to June 2013, Edward was Managing Director and Accountable Manager of Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA), then the world’s largest Twin Otter seaplane / floatplane operator.

The operation comprised 24 DHC-6 aircraft, approximately 475 employees and more than 400,000 passengers annually. His work included significant fleet expansion and operational infrastructure development.

24 aircraft · 400,000+ passengers a year

FROM PLANS TO PASSENGERS

More than the aircraft.

Edward project-managed the development of TMA’s two-storey seaplane / floatplane terminal. It opened in 2011, supporting the operation’s continued growth.

That experience connects infrastructure planning with the realities of moving passengers, supporting aircraft and running a seaplane / floatplane business.

TMA passenger terminal showing the extended facility, with pontoons and Twin Otter aircraft in front — TMA passenger terminal showing the new extended facility, which Edward project managed and opened in 2011 during his tenure as Managing Director.

Manta Air DHC-6-300 Twin Otter seaplanes / floatplanes operating on the water — Manta Air DHC-6-300 — 2019

BUILDING AN AIRLINE

From start-up to service.

Edward project-managed the start-up of Manta Air and served as Accountable Manager from May 2018 to May 2023, also holding the role of Chief Operating Officer.

This included establishing the airline’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC), introducing ATR 72-600 operations and developing its DHC-6 Twin Otter seaplane / floatplane operation from the ground up. He subsequently helped grow the fleet to 18 Twin Otters and three ATR aircraft.

Airline launch · Fleet introduction · Growth

Soneva Twin Otter floatplane on the water in the Maldives — Soneva Twin Otter — introduced into the Maldives in 2018.

RESORT AVIATION

Soneva — Aircraft Introduction and Cabin VIP Upgrade

Supported the introduction of Soneva’s first floatplane in the Maldives, DHC-6 Twin Otter MSN 045, and its fit-out with a bespoke VIP interior, bringing practical operating experience to the aircraft’s preparation for resort services.

Aircraft introduction · Cabin fit-out · Resort services

Engineers working on a blue and yellow Twin Otter seaplane / floatplane inside a maintenance hangar — Twin Otter maintenance and hangar infrastructure

SUPPORTING THE OPERATION

Infrastructure that keeps aircraft moving.

A successful seaplane / floatplane operation needs the right facilities on the ground as well as the right aircraft on the water.

EJA’s seaplane / floatplane consultancy connects fleet planning and aircraft entry into service with hangar capacity, maintenance support and day-to-day operational requirements.

A DIRECT WORKING RELATIONSHIP

Your Twin Otter
operations adviser.

Work directly with Edward through a focused project, an ongoing advisory retainer or board support. UK-based advice combines with periodic on-site involvement wherever your operation needs it.

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YOUR NEXT CHAPTER