Uttar Pradesh govt plans to begin helicopter taxi services for tourist locations

According to media reports, Mukesh Kumar Meshram, principal secretary for tourism and culture said, though the Agra heliport is complete, work is being done to build heliports at other key tourist destinations.

The Uttar Pradesh tourism department plans to create a helicopter taxi service to connect major tourist attractions around the state. The service is expected to commence in December of this year. In light of the epidemic, when people want to avoid packed buses and railroads, tourism experts believe the helicopter taxi might be a viable choice.

According to media reports, Mukesh Kumar Meshram, principal secretary for tourism and culture said, though the Agra heliport is complete, work is being done to build heliports at other key tourist destinations. He claimed that most visitors, particularly foreigners, visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal because of its strong link. Nonetheless, owing to insufficient connection, the same visitors avoid equally important other tourist sites. Such visitors would benefit from the helicopter taxi service. Meshram claimed that the government already has airports in Vindhyachal, Prayagraj, Lucknow, and Varanasi and a heliport near the airport in Agra.

The initiative would be built on the private-public partnership (PPP) paradigm, and a consultant would be engaged within two weeks to locate acceptable private participants. According to official sources, the service would ensure that visitors arrive at their destinations and return the same day. Officials said an Agra-style heliport with minimal infrastructure to conduct the service is also being built in Mathura and Prayagraj. Similarly, helicopter taxis to Buddhist monuments like Bodhgaya and Kushinagar will be available to tourists.

Last month, on August 21, the Taj Mahal reopened for night viewing after being closed for almost a year due to COVID problems. Visitors who wanted to visit the marble monument under the moonlight could have done.  Night viewing of the monument was reportedly restricted on March 17, 2020, during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.