Bengaluru airport to offer 'HeliTaxi' at luxury cab fare

Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) will soon offer a helicopter shuttle service, dubbed HeliTaxi, at the cost of a luxury taxi fare.

The airport at Devanahalli is about 40 km from the city centre and 60-70 km away from Electronic City in the south and the IT corridors in southeast and southwest.

Electronic City is home to hundreds of technology firms and multinational companies. A 5-7 seat luxury cab fare between the airport and the city's far end is Rs3,000-4,000.

"The aerial service will ferry air passengers to and from the airport to the city faster than private cars, cabs or buses can travel through dense vehicular traffic on both ways," says to BIAL managing director Harsha Raghavan.

The operator has tied up with leading helicopter service Thumby Aviation Ltd to ferry passengers between the airport and the city on demand.

"We will seek regulatory approvals to offer soon an integrated transfer service between the airport and the city as part of our passenger-friendly initiatives," Harsha said.

"The new service will be convenient for executives, with faster access to the thriving city, expanding and extending all-around in view of its rapid economic development," Thumby chairman Group Captain K N G Nair said at a pre-launch event.

Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha, who announced the launch of the ''seamless'' service, said the HeliTaxi service would ensure quick transfers to and from airports at a cost similar to a luxury taxi fare.

"While the Udan scheme focuses on regional connectivity, the HeliTaxi service will ensure quick transfers to and from airport. Efficient last-mile connectivity is a key to ensuring India as a true global aviation hub," he said.

"The government has worked to make the convenience of air travel accessible to as many citizens as possible. As Bengaluru has been an important city for launching innovative aviation services, we would like to see similar air taxi service at other airports across the country for the convenience and comfort of the passengers," Sinha said.

The country's third-busiest airport after New Delhi and Mumbai, Bengaluru has about 60,000 fliers landing or taking off on working days.