Tourists can now opt for another mode of transport i.e. helicopters which are soon going to be introduced by the Karnataka tourism department. The department will enable private companies to operate helicopter service between destinations.
The Helicopter tourism will be made available on 4 circuits i.e. heritage, beach, religious and Malnad. On one of the highest-flying routes - Hampi-Bijapur route, tourists would be taken to Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole from Hospet, with the option of having breakfast or lunch at Tungabhadra dam.
Captain Gopinath, CMD, Deccan Express Logistics says “Helicopter tours are mostly overnight trips, where the chopper takes tourists to the destination, makes a night halt and flies them back. Only corporate clients can afford to take off for days,”
The helicopter fares depend on the kind of aircraft chosen and the number of flying hours involved. Major airline like Deccan Aviation usually charge sell Rs 2 to 4 lakh for Heli-tourism packages of 2-3 duration for places like Hampi, Belur and Mysore .
