Goa Chief Minister launches 3 helicopter services to boost tourism: Explore hinterlands of Goa like never before

Following the commencement, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, "Heli Tourism will let us explore the hinterlands of Goa like never before" and assured that the government will gladly provide support for initiatives to promote tourism in the state.

The Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched three helicopter services in Goa in association with BLADE India on Friday. "These services are necessary for Goa's tourism, medical emergency and commercial purposes. Tourists and locals will be able to access the service," he said. Following the commencement, he added, "Heli Tourism will let us explore the hinterlands of Goa like never before" and assured that the government will gladly provide support for initiatives to promote tourism in the state.

The services have been launched for the inbound travellers in Goa to provide by-the-seat helicopter services by connecting Goa airport to North, South Goa and old Goa airport, private charter services from Maharashtra and within Goa and experiential flights to soak in the stunning shorelines of the state.

With this launch, BLADE India intends at making Goa more accessible and navigable for travellers to discover bounties and hidden gems at their own pace.

Sawant emphasised introducing the heli-tourism services in the state for better connectivity and accessibility for both travellers and locals alike.

After receiving an overwhelming response in Maharashtra and Karnataka, BLADE India is rapidly expanding its footprint in the country and has geared up to enter India's most preferred leisure holiday destination Goa.

"The real beauty of India lies in Bharat-the interiors. These interiors, today, are hard to reach so we need solutions based on helicopters which can connect potential tourists to the real Bharat and create employment opportunities for them," said Sunny Guglani, Head of Airbus Helicopters for India and South Asia.

Gulglani also feels that Helicopters can play a pivotal role in unlocking the true potential of Goa when it comes to tourism and "Goa can lead the rest of the country when it comes to this (Tourism)," he added.

On the introduction of new routes, Mr Amit Dutta, MD, BLADE India says, "The aim of heli-tourism services is to make places more accessible through short-haul air mobility. The Goa airport and North-South Goa have always been disconnected due to the road travel time involved and have been a pain point for travellers in Goa and locals alike. The goal is to bridge the gap between the two locations and help local communities and businesses thrive by being connected".

BLADE is an urban air mobility (UAM) platform committed to reducing travel friction with a personalized flying experience and enabling time-efficient air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested and inaccessible ground routes in India.

BLADE India is a joint venture between BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc. headquartered in New York and New Delhi based venture capital firm, Hunch Ventures, which was started in Maharashtra in 2019.

With BLADE, one can book by the seat on scheduled flights in Maharashtra, between Mumbai-Pune-Shirdi-Hilton Shillim and Aamby Valley; in Karnataka between Bangalore, Evolve Back Resorts Coorg and Kabini, Mercara Golf Course Madikeri or charter anywhere across the country and abroad.

It has also partnered with Airbus to expand its short-haul air mobility services in India through fleet expansions and further explore and expand UAM in the country.