Helicopter tourism may take off in Ooty

Udhagamandalam: In a first, the tourism department is planning to introduce heli tourism in the hills for 18 days from May 13 as part of Nilgiris Summer Festival-2023.The department has roped in Coimbatore-based Overdrives Aviation for chopper operations, Nilgiris tourist officer D Uma Shankar said. “The event, at Theetukal helipad near Ooty, will be an added attraction for tourists.”The 10-minute helicopter ride will cover 30km, said Sundar Rajan of Overdrives Aviation. “We plan to use two choppers, each having six passenger seats. The tourism department will decide the fee,” he said.Located 5km away from the Ooty Bus Stand, the helipad is only used for VVIP visits.Overdrives Aviation is in the process of obtaining permissions and clearances from authorities such as the Nilgiris collector, Nilgiris SP, PWD and fire and rescue department, Sundar said. “After obtaining permissions, we will approach the director general of civil aviation for clearance.”The firm will follow the guidelines prescribed by the Supreme Court for helicopter ride in the hills, Sundar added.As per SC guidelines, flight is prohibited in zones such as national parks, core and buffer zones of tiger reserves and bird sanctuaries.