Pawan Hans to start city heli-services

If bumper-to-bumper traffic jams get your blood pressure up, soon you may be able to just hop on to a chopper and fly to the office instead of driving. Pawan Hans, the largest helicopter operator in the country with 33 helicopters, says it is getting ready to start intra-city helicopter services.

Indian helicopter operators are all set to start services at par with regular fixed-wing airlines, with the Centre giving the go-ahead to chopper operators. They say this will enable quick transportation, especially for corporate sector, which no longer has to depend entirely on scheduled air carriers. Pawan Hans is even proposing setting up Delhi's first heliport, near the Akshardham temple. It wants this ambitious project to take off before the Commonwealth Games.

A vertical option?
"We want to create a facility which can be used by all helicopter operators. People can come by car, fly by helicopter; finish their work and return. People would be free to travel by helicopter; there would be no restrictions," Pawan Hans Chairman and managing director R K Tyagi told reporters on Wednesday.

The company has identified two sites in the city for its heliport; one near the Akshardham temple and the other one near Apollo hospital, which will make it suitable for handling medical emergencies.

Since the National Capital Region may soon see a new international airport at Noida, A city heliport would make a lot of sense. The only problem is security clearances, which the government may anyway want to relax, in light of the coming Commonwealth Games.

The heli-services would also be helpful for rescue and relief operations in case of natural disasters or major accidents, said K Gohain, Director General of Civil Aviation. Tyagi said that the service would also boost tourism, as many foreign tourists avoid combining major tourist spots, because it involves too much travelling time.