The Skylimo: Helicopter pick up service in Bangalore

Caught in a jam? Heli-hop to your destination
- Chopper metro service launched in Bangalore, surgeon catches flight he would have missed
ANIL BUDUR LULLA


Bangalore, July 4: The southern city has got what many in the metros have desired: a pair of wings to beat the traffic.

Ask Dr David Rajan, who would have missed his 10.15am flight to Coimbatore from the new airport at Devanahalli had he taken the road.

At 8.50am, the sports medicine specialist and his assistant Kandaswamy were still in Electronics City, a good 66km and a three-hour road ride away.

But the 43-year-old doctor from Coimbatore, who was in Bangalore to carry out an emergency operation this morning, knew he would make it in time as he had booked himself on Skylimo, a first-of-its kind helicopter shuttle service in India between locations within a metro. The first commercial flight of the service lifted off today.

A similar service was planned in Mumbai but it never took off. Other cities have chartered chopper services but for rides to nearby towns.

For starters, the Bangalore service, launched by Deccan Aviation — which pioneered low-cost flying in India — is being offered from Electronics City to the new BIAL airport. Electronics City is a hub of IT and multinational companies with several super-speciality hospitals in the vicinity, whom Deccan Aviation wants to target as potential heli-hoppers.

By road, the distance to the airport takes anywhere between two-and-a-half hours and three hours if there is free passage. For software clients and top CEOs used to returning to base the same night or even taking a connecting international flight, the commute time is something they can ill afford. What they can afford is the Skylimo at Rs 5,800 per passenger for a one-way flight.

A one-way ride in a rented Mercedes or BMW costs nearly as much. Even a sedan like the Accent or Baleno will charge upwards of Rs 2,000. The fare in AC taxis works out to approximately Rs 1,000.

“The weather is the only impediment for helicopter operations. Otherwise, it’s an under-20 minute flight,” says Lt Col Rajendra Menon, a former army aviation pilot who commandeered the first commercial Skylimo flight today with three passengers.

The copter — a Bell 206 that can seat four — lifted off around 9, giving a spectacular view of the glass-fronted buildings around Electronics City, crossing the highway where the morning rush hour had already choked the arterial road and flying north towards Devanahalli.

The early morning weather was perfect for the flight and Dr Rajan wondered why the pilot was not following the highway to reach the airport.

“We are flying from south to north in an arc (through east), so we will avoid the city almost entirely and instead fly on its fringes. The distance is approximately 43km as the crow flies,” explained Menon.

Familiar landmarks slipped past as the chopper cruised. From 1,000 feet above, the old HAL airport resembled a ghost town — its terminals, apron, parking bays, cargo godowns, maintenance hangars and taxiway looking desolate. Just five weeks ago, it was a hub of activity with over 600 aircraft movements per day till the civilian air traffic shifted to the new airport. With poor connectivity and

the government struggling with oft-advanced deadlines to improve the

road to Devanahalli, a helicopter ride is the right prescription, especially for those who can afford.

“It’s a breeze,” exclaimed the usually calm Dr Rajan as he travelled at 180km per hour, whizzing over the clogged roads below. The surgeon had a harrowing time reaching the city from the airport yesterday morning as he was caught in one of the vicious traffic snarls Bangalore is becoming notorious for.

In the distance, BIAL loomed on the horizon as the helicopter flew over vineyards that Devanahalli is famous for. The copter settles comfortably into the large letter H marked on the ground. The total flight duration was 19 minutes, including 15 spent in the air, said Menon.

Kandaswamy looks anxiously at his watch, while Dr Rajan can't believe

it. His 10.15am flight to Coimbatore was still an hour away, this when he was struggling to reach the Electronics City helipad at 8.50 am.

A waiting Innova would take him and his assistant to the departure terminal, a minute’s drive.

Deccan Aviation plans to pick up and drop passengers at several city points –HAL airport, Palace Grounds, Whitefield and later even from UB City near Cubbon Park where a rooftop helipad is awaiting clearance.

Flying to the city points will cost a passenger Rs 4,800. Talks are on with HAL airport as it has become a defence airport now and needs to get special clearance to allow the Skylimo services.

The Palace Grounds, a vast lung space owned by the erstwhile Mysore maharajas, is embroiled in litigation over ownership. “As no permanent constriction activity

can take place, we are asking the owners to put up a temporary lounge

and maintenance room,” Deccan Aviation executive director Col

Jayant Pooviah said.

Pooviah expects Skylimo traffic to pick up towards the end of the year

as word gets around. “There are several IT companies who have come

forward to enquire. We are thankful to Infosys for letting us use

their pad and Bangalore International Airport Limited which gave us a separate area to set up operations,” Pooviah said. The company is willing to press in the larger Bell 407 which seats six passengers if bookings soar.