Tamil Nadu on heli-tourism service radar

Pawan Hans services, a premier national helicopter carrier, could be made available for tourists in the state. Alphons said Pawan Hans Limited, an aviation entity under the Centre, had carried out the study in association with the Tamil Nadu government. 

“The study was done for the introduction of helicopter services to provide heli-tourism in Tamil Nadu state, including Madurai, and the preliminary report in this regard has been submitted to the state government,” Alphons said. Such services are already available in other states like Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Daman and Diu.

But how viable will the service be, if and when it is introduced? Rajesh Sampath, CEO of Jusfly Aviation, a private charter company based in Coimbatore offering helicopter services for various needs, welcomed the move. 

“We’ve been seeing a definite need for heli-tourism services. Tamil Nadu is a tourist destination with many heritage attractions and heli-tourism would help bring more visitors even from abroad. Schemes like Udaan also encourage heli-taxi services for better connectivity,” he said and added that people have been using the service mostly for special occasions like weddings or for a quick getaway. 

However, there are concerns on how economic the option could prove to be, especially at a time when travel enthusiasts across the country, especially Tamil Nadu, are more interested in exploring options such as trekking and backpacking. 

Saranya Sreenevasan, who heads a travel forum in Chennai, said that it is definitely an experience to be tried once, but doesn’t believe it may succeed in the long run. “It is because it seems like an expensive option and wouldn’t work in a state like Tamil Nadu where most of the areas can be easily accessed by train or road. Sure, the novelty of seeing the hills by air is there, but people won’t be able to afford it too often. We will have to wait and see the pricing.”