This Ganpati festival could bring some good news for the citizens of Pune and Mumbai. In a first for the country, the government is examining the feasibility of beginning regular chopper services between the two cities. The service is proposed to be launched by state-run Pawan Hans and could make cost of flying between the two cities affordable as airline fares are extremely steep on this short sector.
A team of top aviation ministry, DGCA and Pawan Hans officials will be in Mumbai this week to study the feasibility of this chopper service as also scout for a site for a heliport in south Mumbai. Pawan Hans has proposed to build a heliport on the sea, a first for India but a common practice abroad. "There can be regular service from this south Mumbai heliport to the existing airport that's about two hours drive otherwise. The new airport for the city is proposed to be built in Navi Mumbai which is even farther away and desperately calls for chopper connections," said a senior official.
While this has been on the cards for a while, the regular Pune-Mumbai chopper service has the aviation ministry excited as it is keen to promote use of choppers. Low cost carriers have stopped flying on this shorthaul routes, as steep airfares would have made the budget traveller opt for the expressway. A full service carrier that still flies on this route charges anywhere between Rs 5,600 to Rs 6,700 for an economy class ticket on this 35-minute flight. Chopper service, on the other hand, could be made available for less than half this price, said sources. TNN
