In a heartening news, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Nara Chandrababu Naidu has finally inaugurated heli tourism in Visakhapatnam. Thanks to the constant efforts put in by the concerned officials, the helicopters have finally taken off. As the initial step in the project, the choppers have started whizzing over us for trail runs from the VUDA helipad at city’s VUDA park.
Pawan Hans, that has jointly undertaken this project along with VUDA, brought in a two-engine AS365 Daulphin N for the inaugural ride carrying Chandrababu Naidu. This chopper is equipped to carry a load of up to 10 passengers while skimming through the skies. Another chopper, Bell 206L4, has been readied for the sake of carrying tourists.
After the initial runs on 16th and 17th December, the helicopters will be operating in a full-fledged manner from 28th December. The Hindu quoted VUDA Vice-Chairman P. Basnath Kumar as saying, “After the inaugural, the regular heli tourism is likely to begin from December 28 coinciding with the Visakha Utsav.”
The route and other details
The helicopters will, apparently, be flying through a route covering Kailsagiri, Tenneti Park, Erra Matti Dibbalu, and RK Beach among others.
The officials have decided to make the tickets available through an online portal on the state’s tourism website. It has also been informed that the fare charged for a 10-minute ride will be Rs 2500 per head.
So how excited are you to experience the sights of our beloved Visakhapatnam amidst the lush green hills and the deep blue waters, from the skies above?
