Karnataka to introduce helicopter tourism

Karnataka Government has set in motion the process of establishing helipads at 22 different locations in the State with a view to introducing helicopter tourism, a concept that seeks to provide helicopter service between different tourist destinations.

According to Karnataka Tourism’s Special Officer Sanjay Bijjur, the State Government has entrusted Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd, a Government of India enterprise, with the task of carrying out a feasibility survey for the heli-tourism concept and identify suitable spots for setting up helipads at 22 different places across the State.

Helicopter tourism, which has been christened as “Heli-tourism” by the Karnataka Government, is expected to provide helicopter services for tourists planning to visit different tourist destinations in the State. The helicopter service can also boost industrial development by linking different industrial hubs of the State with Bangalore.

The Government has proposed to set up helipads at major tourism locations like Hampi, Belur, Madikeri and Chickmagalur, besides Kollur, Udupi and Dharmasthala. The decision to set up helipads across the State was taken in view of the increase in the number of high-end tourists visiting these places.

Meanwhile, Deputy General Manager of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd Sanjay Kumar, who is touring different parts of the State to identify suitable locations for helipads, participated in an interactive meeting on “Helicopter tourism potential in Karnataka” organized by the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI).

“Gauging by the feedback we had received so far, there is immense potential for helicopter tourism in Karnataka”, he told the gathering at the interactive meeting. Sanjay Kumar has also emphasized the need to increase the density of civilian helicopters to realize the true potential of “heli-tourism”. “If the US had five civilian helicopters for every million people, in India there is just one helicopter for every ten million people”, he said.