BLADE India launches helicopter service from Bengaluru to Coorg, Kabini

PTI, Dec 17, 2021, 10:15 AM IST

The Indian subsidiary of US-based helicopter transport firm BLADE has launched its scheduled by-the-seat services on Bengaluru-Coorg and Bengaluru-Kabini routes in Karnataka.

BLADE first entered the state in December 2020 with its weekend private charter services.

With the launch of the services on the two routes, travel time to the two cities from the state capital will be reduced from 6-7 hours by road at present, the company said in a release.

BLADE India said it aims to connect congested and inaccessible surface routes in the country through an efficient air transport system and provide an all-around holistic experience through its baggage and ground transfers and partner benefits.

Amit Dutta, MD, BLADE India, said, “Karnataka boasts of some of the most beautiful destinations in the country, however, their accessibility is a pain point. 6-7 hours of road travel from Bangalore eat into the precious time that travellers could otherwise spend enjoying their holiday. BLADE mitigates this pain with an hour’s seamless experience.”

BLADE India said that it has tied up with Evolve Back Resorts to enable customers to book their flight and stay at once; land at the property directly in an hour and be more accessible.

“We are excited to partner with BLADE India as they offer Helicopter Transfers from Bangalore to our resorts in Coorg and Kabini,” said Thomas Emmanuel Ramapuram, Director-Sales at Evolve Back Resorts.

This will give a huge boost to luxury travel in Karnataka and will transform the leisure tourism industry in the months to come, he added.

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