Heli-taxi service: Air taxi between Bhubaneswar and Baripada soon!

A new chapter is set to be added to Odisha’s tourism history as heli-taxi services will soon begin to and fro Bhubaneswar-Baripada, official sources said on Tuesday. A trial run of the heli taxi service has already been successfully conducted in Mayurbhanj’s Baripada, marking a significant step toward enhancing tourist experiences in the region.

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Under this ambitious initiative, tourists will be able to enjoy aerial sightseeing of the major destinations via helicopter. A six-seater helicopter operated by Pawan Hans recently landed at Baripada Police Ground as part of the trial.

Once operational, visitors will be able to travel to Baripada town from the State Capital by helicopter and take in breathtaking aerial views of the famous Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby tourist attractions. Preparations are currently underway to launch the service by next month.

The heli taxi facility will basically offer two types of packages. In the first option, tourists from Bhubaneswar can fly to Baripada and explore the surrounding tourist spots, including Similipal sanctuary, from the air.

The second package will allow the tourists to be dropped off in Baripada by helicopter and picked up the following day, enabling them to enjoy an overnight stay in the Similipal region.

However, the pricing for the heli taxi service has not yet been finalised.

“An agreement has been reached between the Odisha Tourism Department and Pawan Hans to provide heli taxi services for those interested. There is a tentative plan in place, though nothing has been finalised yet. For example, tourists would travel from Bhubaneswar to Baripada, visit some major tourist attractions, stay overnight, and return to Bhubaneswar the following day,” Baripada tourism officer, Himanshu Mohanty, said.

“Additionally, there is a provision for joyrides, where those interested can fly for 5 to 10 minutes to view Baripada and the Similipal National Park from the sky. A test landing was conducted today for this purpose, and it was successful,” the tourism officer added.