Intra-city helicopter service connects Bangalore International Airport & Hosur Aerodrome

Bengaluru: As part of its expansion strategy for its intra-city helicopter services, FlyBlade India, a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and BLADE Air Mobility, Inc., will be connecting Bangalore International Airport to Hosur Aerodrome. Every weekday, the on-demand service will cost Rs 6000 per person.

The first flight from the airport will depart in the morning, while the last flight will depart in the evening. According to the urban air mobility company, BLADE India, this route was established to make it easier to commute between North and South Bengaluru.

Normally, the drive from Hosur to the airport takes up to three hours, but BLADE will complete it in about 20 minutes. Bookings for this route are now being accepted on the BLADE India website since it has begun operating. Flights can be reserved for Rs 6000 per person, just like any other flight ticket.

Additionally, BLADE has expanded the number of daily flights between its helipad near the airport and the city centre, now operating three flights per day from 8:45 am to 10:30 am, with return trips taking place between 3:45 pm and 5 pm. More landing places will be added to the city in the upcoming months, with Electronic City and Whitefield on the list.

Amit Dutta, Managing Director of BLADE India, commented on the opening of Hosur Aerodrome, saying, "Hosur is a busy cluster of IT and manufacturing firms as well as MNCs. Spending up to three hours driving on a little business trip can be inconvenient and counterproductive considering how many corporate travellers and locals alike must travel domestically and internationally for work. Corporate travellers are choosing efficiency above cost when given the choice between a quick 20-minute flight or a 3 hour drive. In the upcoming months, it is our intention to make Bengaluru well-connected via the air with a variety of landing points within the city."

Up to 200 eVTOLs would be delivered to India by 2026 as part of the cooperation with Eve that BLADE India inked earlier this year. The aircrafts with electric vertical takeoff and landing will operate more cheaply and with less noise pollution. Urban Air Mobility's October 2022 launch in Bengaluru served as a test run.

Beginning in November 2019, BLADE India began operating its first flights in Maharashtra between Mumbai, Pune, and Shirdi. Since then, BLADE has introduced BLADE Care, a bed-to-bed air med-evac service, and BLADE Anywhere, a customised charter service. It has also expanded its scheduled by-the-seat helicopter flights to Karnataka (to Coorg, Hampi, and Kabini) and Goa.