Coming Soon: India's First Helicopter Taxi Service in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Bengaluru may soon become India’s first city to get a helicopter taxi service. Thumby Aviation has partnered with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to start Heli Taxi services from the electronic city to the Kempe Gowda International Airport by November this year.

The air taxi service would cut the commute to just 15 minutes from around two hours by road.

The rates are yet to be fixed but Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha has urged for the fare to be kept at affordable levels. "I request the operators to price it at affordable rates. That’s what we have done with airlines. If heli taxi prices are at pegged at air-conditioned cab prices, the demand will increase," Sinha said.

The rates are likely to be fixed and not dynamic, and the operators are aiming at an initial base of 100 users of the 60,000 people who use the airport every day.

He said the Centre has been encouraging the use of helicopters in cities with its open-sky policy which allows helicopters to fly below 5,000 feet without any flight plan.

As of now, there are 90 helipads in Bangalore city on rooftops which are not used and both central and state governments have promised few more helipads.