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Pune has largest fleet of helicopters in country
As per the data released by the director general of civil aviation (DGCA), of the 231 helicopters across the country, 16 are in Pune
While Pune does not have a dedicated civilian airport and the proposed one is nowhere near taking off, the city has among the largest helicopter fleet in the country. Owned by individuals and private firms, the fleet of choppers is used by common people for everything from joyrides to temple visits to travel, according to people in the business. As per the data released by the director general of civil aviation (DGCA), of the 231 helicopters across the country, 16 are in Pune alone.
Captain Nitin Welde, aviation veteran and member of the Rotary Wing Society of India, said that according to the Rotary Wing Society of India and DGCA, Pune has the largest fleet of helicopters in the country, available to common people.
“Though Mumbai has the largest fleet of helicopters, a majority of them are deployed for operations of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Very few are available for the common people. By contrast, many citizens in Pune are using helicopters for visiting temples, joyrides and so on,” said Welde, who is also associated with a firm offering private charter helicopter services in Pune.
Welde said half-an-hour joyride facility is drawing good response from people wanting to have an aerial view of the city and nearby areas. Recently, one of Welde’s friends gifted his 80-year-old mother a helicopter ride. “I have seen some people gifting joyrides on occasions such as wedding anniversaries too,” he said.
Most of these joyrides fall under the non-scheduled operators’ (NSOPs) category. A document prepared by the ministry of civil aviation this year states that there are about 181 NSOP category choppers in India; 26 government or public sector choppers; and the balance are in the private category. Also, according to the ministry of civil aviation, of the 231 civil helicopters in the country, 19 are owned by various state governments such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and others; 37 are privately-owned by individuals and corporates; and 175 are available for non-scheduled operations.
Welde said, “As per the Rotary Wing Society of India, among the 175 helicopters available for non-scheduled operations, 82 are owned by the three companies — Pawan Hans Private Limited, Global Vectra, and Heligo Helicopters.”
According to a ministry of civil aviation report, “Among the NSOP category choppers, the distribution ratio of single-engine to twin-engine helicopters is around 35:65. The fleet operators range from the largest Pawan Hans Private Limited which holds more than 40 helicopters to some operators who have only one helicopter.”
Sanjeev Paswan, head of operations, Fly Blade India Private Limited (a helicopter services’ operator), said, “We are operating pan-India but started our service in Pune first as the city has the largest fleet of helicopters. The response is huge, and two to three helicopters will be added to the Pune fleet in the next few months. Our popular rides are Pune to Mumbai and Mumbai to Shirdi. Many citizens are using our services for joyrides.”
Dattatraya Gote Patil, owner, Mahalaxmi Aviation Private Limited, said, “It is a proud feeling that common people too can take helicopter rides through us. Till today, more than 10,000 citizens have taken rides through our services and majority is from rural areas. Earlier, it was a dream but now it’s possible for common citizens.”
Rishab Patil, who recently enjoyed a helicopter ride with his parents, said, “I decided to gift my parents a helicopter ride. It is a lifelong memory for them.”
