Chopper service launched in Bangalore to get you out of jams |
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The IT hub of India has got what even the capital and other metros have missed, its very own chopper service. The southern city has got wings to beat the traffic in the city and the rising problems of jams. Dr. David Rajan had to be at the airport to take his 10.15 am flight to Coimbatore which was to depart from the Devanahalli airport, the new Bangalore airport. Had he taken the regular road there was no way that he would have made it to the airport. Around 8.50 am the specialist for the department of sports medicines and an assistant were still in Electronics city. They had to cover a distance of 66km which was a good three hour ride considering the office traffic in the morning. The doctor was in Bangalore for some emergency operation and had to get back to his home town of Coimbatore. So the doctor decided to call for the SkyLimo service which is an exclusive service launched in Bangalore. The helicopter shuttle service is the first of its kind in India. And the first commercial operation of the service was inaugurated by the doctor. There had been a similar service launched in Mumbai but it never really took off. There are other chartered services available but only for transferring passengers to nearby towns. The Bangalore service had been launched by Deccan Aviation, the pioneer of the low budget flights in India. The service is currently being offered from Electronics City to the new BIAL airport. This city is the hub if multinational companies and the IT sector. There are also various specialist hospitals in the region and they are the prime targets for this helicopter service. Since the distance by road to the airport takes more than 2 and a half hour, the distance from the helicopter service takes a matter of minutes. Some of the CEO’s and other executives visiting the place cannot compromise on the time taken to commute to the airport. But the service of the SkyLimo stands affordable at 5,800 rupees per passenger and a one way flight. Considering a Mercedes or BMW rented cost almost the same and other large segment cars charging about 2000 rupees and up, the idea of SkyLimo is more feasible in just 20 minutes. The only problem here can be the weather conditions else the flight does not take more than 20 minutes. Lt Col Rajendra Menon, former army aviation pilot and the first flight pilot of SkyLimo, carried on with three other passengers the same day. The helicopter is a Bell 206 and can seat 4 persons. The ride also gives the passengers a lovely ride of the glass buildings of the IT hub and crosses the highways with morning rush visible from the flight. The route taken is not following the highway but more of a route of a crow. This distance is only 43 km. The chopper lands comfortably on the H of the BIAL and a car takes the passengers to the departure terminal from here. The services are expected to extend to some city points for a lower cost also. Posted by subhasis on Saturday Jul 05 reply Comments |
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