If you're in Bengaluru, you can soon beat the traffic at Rs 4,000 for a 12-minute helicopter ride
An Urban Air Mobility company called FlyBlade India is launching 2 helicopter flights between Bengaluru International Airport and Hindustan Aeronautical Airport (HAL), Bangalore from October 10, 2022.
- 2 single-engine flights with 5 seats each will operate every weekday,
- starting from: October 10, 2022
- time: starting at 9 am and returning at 4.15 pm,
- price: for an initial cost of Rs 3,250 plus taxes.
Why should anyone take this? If you take a cab from Bengaluru International Airport to HAL, you are bound to spend at least Rs 1,300, use a lot of fuel, AND waste over two hours of your precious time.
- This intra-city electric helicopter service will allow you to skip Bengaluru's painful road commute and cover the distance in mere 12 minutes via a helicopter ride.
What it means: So, if you are in a hurry to reach your office in Indiranagar, Koramangala, or any other IT park situated near these areas, and don't mind spending at least Rs 3,250 for a ride, you might want to keep this option open, just in case. (Areas like Whitefield and Electronic City are also in the pipeline and will be added to the route subsequently.)
And if you feel like you might be a snob for spending a bomb and taking a 15-minute flight, don't worry coz you might not be the only one in the crowd taking the convenient flight.
- FlyBlade India has inked an MoU for a strategic partnership with Embrear’s Eve Air Mobility to bring at least 200 electric air taxis to India by 2026.
- There will mostly be a three-month pilot project connecting passengers from various places to the city airport using helicopters.
So, in the next 4 years, taking a quick helicopter ride might be quite the norm in Bengaluru.
Where was this new technology all this while? These rides are called ''electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles'' or eVOTL. It falls under a new upcoming vertical in the aviation industry, called ''Urban Air Mobility'' or UAM.
Sustainability: Progressive governments seem to be encouraging this industry because these aircraft have close to zero carbon emissions, and are a green alternative. Bonus: They are also 'Made in India'.
Where else can we go? Blade India first launched its services in Maharashtra between Mumbai, Pune and Shirdi in November 2019.
- It expanded its scheduled by-the-seat helicopter flights to Coorg, Hampi, and Kabini in Karnataka; and Goa.
- In the coming few months, customers can also travel from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar and Alibaug.
What's the international scene like?
Dubai: Though Dubai has not seen any eVTOL services as of yet, as per reports dated August 26, 2022, Falcon Aviation Services will bring the first eVTOL services in Dubai by 2026.
- Unlike Bangalore, where eVTOLs will save commuters from horrible traffic, Falcon will engage its first 35 eVTOLs in Dubai for sightseeing and tourism from iconic monuments like The Palm, The Atlantis, and Dubai’s iconic waterfront hotel.
USA: The air taxi service seems to be quite established in the USA as Blade operates its air helicopter services in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Dallas, and San Diego.
- They also have a separate flight for travelling between Manhattan and New York's JFK Airport in 5 minutes, which can cost you between Rs 16,000- Rs 82,000.
Europe: Air taxis here operate for both business and leisure. In the UK, they carry passengers from multiple London Airports to the London Heliport in Battersea in 6 to 15 minutes.
- Celebs use these helicopter rides to travel between cities like Nice, Monaco, Saint Tropez, and Cannes in the French Riviera. A typical short 7 minute ride between Nice and Monaco costs about Rs 18,000.
In India: Looks like we have something better this year that can save Bengaluru folks from the traffic. For just Rs 4,000.