Summer vacations: Going to Shimla? Starting soon, take helicopter from Chandigarh

Summer vacations are here and Shimla is one of the most preferred destinations for holiday makers in North India. While the roads are good, those travellers who want to get to their destination fast, will soon have the option of travelling on a helicopter too. Chandigarh and contiguous areas will have chopper services to Shimla at hand from next month. People will be able to take a morning flight from Chandigarh to Shimla for as less as Rs 2,999 per person.The helicopter will take only 20 minutes  to reach the destination. 

Pawan Hans Ltd will launch heli-taxi services on Chandigarh-Shimla route from June 4 in association with the Himachal Pradesh government. The flight will take off from Shimla at 8.00 am and reach Chandigarh at 8.20 am.  It will take off from Chandigarh airport 9.00 am and reach Shimla at 9.20 am. Pawan Hans will operate a 20-seater chopper on the route and minimum fare will be Rs 2,999 per person.  The chopper services would be available every Monday and Friday for now and the frequency would be raised depending on passengers' response. The service of Pawan Hans Heli Taxi from Shimla will start from June 4. Pawan Hans Heli Taxi service will be flagged off by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on June 4, PTI reported.

Pawan Hans reportedly will start services to other regions as well under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS 2) from July. This will also connect destinations in northeast India. It has now 43 helicopters in its fleet and the company is also looking to lease more helicopters to expand operations. Pawan Hans is planning to add over 50 new towns and cities soon in its service area.