‘Heli-shuttle’ to ferry high-fliers

Hyderabad’s IT czars can soon opt for a helicopter to beat commuting woes as the connecting expressway won’t be ready by the time a new airport opens in March.
Deccan’s “heli-shuttle”, as it is called, will be the first such service in India that will cater to the business elite.
The Andhra Pradesh government is in the final stage of clearing the service, which will ferry fliers from the international airport at Shamshabad, a 60-minute drive from the city centre. A helicopter will cover the distance in 15 minutes. The service to HITEC City, the software hub, will take less than 10 minutes. It takes 30 minutes by car.
G.R. Gopinath, Deccan’s executive chairman, held talks on the launch with chief minister Y.S.R. Reddy earlier this week. “We intend to start the heli-shuttle service as soon as the new international airport is inaugurated. We are working on the logistics now,” Gopinath said.
The chopper will have room for six, besides the pilot. “We will increase the number of helicopters to two later,” Gopinath said.
03/02/08 The Telegraph

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Deccan Feb 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Feb 2008, New Feb 2008