The problem of choice of light passenger seaplane used for short - haul flights

Europe is one of the densely populated continents on Earth. A characteristic feature of the European air transport service market is co-existence of several and large communication centres performing trans-continental links and dense net of local links between the majority of small cities and tourist resorts. Europe is an exceptional area with unique properties favouring regional development of the air transport system of light amphibian aircraft with the use of small and medium airports and natural water landings. Europe has a huge partly unused potential of airports and landing grounds, which can be the basis for creating a competitive travel offer around Europe by light passenger amphibian aircrafts. They can use less busy airports and adjusted and re-qualified landing grounds as well as natural landing fields on water. The potential places for take-off and landing operations are port pools located on the coast of the sea, lake or big rivers. Operators and entrepreneurs interested in starting new seaplane businesses report about missing modern airplanes. The aim of the paper is to conduct comparative analysis of the characteristics of selected types of light amphibian aircrafts (existed and modified presently used land-based planes), helped to identify best fitted seaplane to estimated range of operation.