Union Ministry considering 15 helipads in the country to promote heli-tourism

Jayant Sinha, Union Minister for State for Aviation said that his ministry was considering introducing 15 helipads at 15 places in the country to promote heli-tourism in the country. The helipads are proposed in hilly areas to exploit the potential tourist destinations in the northern and north-eastern parts of the country where air traffic is not possible by flights.

Sinha was speaking at an interaction at a national conclave in Belagavi in Karnataka recently. The minister credited the government for its move to enable inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the aviation sector with a cap of 49 per cent and claimed that no previous government had dared to do so.

“The union ministry is reconsidering the process of disinvestment in the national carrier. Our aviation sector has a bright future and has been making profits to the tune of Rs 1.8 lakh crore on a par with railways and telecom sector,” said the minister.

The government was committed to improving air connectivity in tier-II cities, including Belagavi, the minister said. Soon 10 to 15 flights will commence operations from this airport, Sinha said. A number of carriers were expressing interest and may participate in the bidding for the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik-3 scheme. Earlier, Sinha said empowerment of people by enhancing their skills and improving their output would help in the rise of GDP.