KIA-Electronics City heli-taxi service from Feb 21

Bypassing the congested city centre and the arterial roads, you could take a 15-minute helicopter ride from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to Electronics City from February 21. The heli-taxi service, announced late last year, will cost about Rs 3,500.

Once the service is expanded, heli-taxis could be linked to 90 helipads identified across the city, as Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) managing director and CEO, Hari Marar puts it.

Customers who opt for the service will be driven from the terminal by car to the helicopter take-off area within KIA.

The final cost and schedule is being worked out, and will be announced in a few days, informs Marar. The service is operated by the Kochi-based Thumby Aviation.

Currently, a one-way trip from KIA to Electronics City in a luxury taxi is priced at Rs 2,000. But the travel time could get beyond two hours due to heavy traffic congestion on Airport Road, Silk Board Junction and Hosur Road.

Although heli-taxis could potentially connect 90 suitable helipads in the city, the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given operational clearance only to the helipad at the ITC Royal Gardenia on Residency Road.

Initially, the service will have two Bell helicopters, each with a seating capacity of 6 to 13 passengers. Only one will be used for shuttles while the other copter will be on standby.

Thumby Aviation has already developed a mobile app for users to book tickets. The app is expected to be formally released within the next week.

Check-ins on Vayu Vajra

Vayu Vajra airport buses run by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will soon get check-in kiosks. Passengers could print out their boarding passes and luggage tags inside the bus itself, as Marar informs. Flight timings and schedules are already displayed inside these buses.

Aadhaar-based check

Aadhaar-based verification of passengers will become a reality within the next six months, according to Marar. He explains the process, "Your biometrics will identify you through Aadhaar and your ticket will confirm that you have booked a flight.

Once you use biometrics for authentication, our scanners can track your face and open gates for you as you walk through the airport."