The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Heli-hop from new airport to Bangalore city in minutes

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Friday, Jan 18, 2008
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Heli-hop from new airport to Bangalore city in minutes

Anil Kumar Sastry

Devanahalli airport will become operational on March 30
To begin with, Deccan will offer the services with two helicopters

BANGALORE: Corporate employees pressed for time and baulking at the idea commuting between the new Bangalore International Airport and the city by road can literally fly high.

Deccan Aviation, the largest charter aviation company in the private sector, will offer city shuttle services by helicopter from Devanahalli to the city centre and the Electronic City when the airport becomes operational on March 30.

Deccan Aviation Managing Director G.R. Gopinath told The Hindu here that he visited the upcoming airport and familiarised himself with the set-up on Thursday. “In fact, the Bangalore International Airport authorities have been in touch with me since three months with the proposal and now we have decided to take the offer,” he said.

To begin with, Deccan will offer the services with two helicopters – a seven-seater Bell and a six-seater Euro. The city operations — from morning till evening — could be from the UB City or the Palace Grounds.

The service is primarily aimed at top executives pressed for time. “Various information technology and biotechnology companies had been asking me to provide the facility,” Capt. Gopinath said. The company will complete the routine formalities of obtaining permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the like before commencing the services.

The company has 12 choppers in its stable but for the time being it will deploy only two. Expansion will be based on the demand. Asked about the fare for heli-hopping, he said the company was still working on it.

BIAL officials had said they would tie up with a private chopper operator to provide services between the airport and the city.

The onus on securing the requisite permission from DGCA and choice of locations within the city is on the operator while BIAL could offer landing space at the airport.

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