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Helicopter flights to air connect hilly Uttarakhand, aid Chaar Dhaam yatra pilgrims launched

MUMBAI: Pawan Hans has launched thrice-a-week helicopter flights between Dehradun, New Tehri, Srinagar and Gaucha with the services inaugurated on Wednesday under the UDAN-RCS scheme.


The helicopter services will bring down the average travel time between these hilly destinations to 20-25 minutes, said a press release issued by the ministry of civil aviation.

It added that the flights will also assist the Chaar Dhaam Yatra pilgrims.

"Pawan Hans Ltd will operate thrice-weekly helicopter services on this route. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is provided to both operators and passengers under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable for the common people. Accordingly, the fare for these routes is Rs 2,900 per seat," it said adding that the ministry of civl aviation awarded the Dehradun- New Tehri – Srinagar - Gauchar route to Pawan Hans under the UDAN 2 bidding process.

Two more networks connecting Dehradun to Ramnagar, Pantnagar, Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, and Dehradun to Mussoorie will also be operationalized soon by Pawan Hans Ltd, the ministry said.

A total of 274 UDAN routes have been operationalized so far connecting 45 airports and 3 heliports since the launch of the first UDAN flight in April 2017. Three rounds of UDAN have already been undertaken and so far close to 50 lakh passengers have travelled in UDAN flights covering airports in 19 States and 2 UTs. The fourth round of UDAN is under process.

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