New Delhi: The First Integrated Heliport was dedicated to the Nation by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with Pawan Hans today at Rohini Heliport, Delhi. After inaugurating the facility the Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that the heliport was an excellent infrastructure but pointed out that helicopter services in India are still at a nascent stage. He added that the facility will keep the cost under control as MRO facility has been incorporated. This would also help in job creation. Speaking to media later, he said that joy rides have a future. He also expressed the hope that the pilot training centre would come up soon.
The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Shri Jayant Sinha said that the Aviation sector is making history almost every day and that the heliport is one such event. He said that the facility will be useful in providing medical emergency, public safety and enhancing tourism. Shri Sinha also said that helicopter services could become economically viable if the prevailing 25% tax on ATF was reduced.
The Secretary for Civil Aviation, Shri R.N. Choubey said that it is part of National Aviation Policy to have four heliports, one in each region and Rohini’s heliport is the first step. He also said that helicopter operations could be shifted from I.G.I to Rohini.
The Rohini heliport has been completed in almost two years at a cost of nearly 100 crores. This Heliport will provide all helicopter operational facilities and will decongest busy Indira Gandhi International Airport, and also promote Regional Air connectivity through helicopters in the northern part of the country for regular passenger services, heli services, landing & parking of helicopters, Helicopters Maintenance Services (MRO), disaster management, helicopter emergency medical services (HeMS), law & order surveillance. The Heliport consists of a terminal building having capacity of 150 passengers, 4 hangers with parking capacities for 16 helicopters and 9 parking bays.
Pawan Hans has also prepared a roadmap to connect all the major destination from this Heliport such as Ex-Delhi to Shimla, Haridwar, Dehradun Mathura, Agra, Meerut and Industrial Hubs such as Manesar, Bahadurgarh etc. They will provide air connectivity between Delhi and neighbouring cities from Rohini Heliport. Regional connectivity will be fully achieved when we are able to connect at least all capital cities with district headquarters by air, which can be made possible only by combination of smaller planes and helicopters for seamless connectivity.
PHL is working on its business diversification and has devised a Strategic Plan – 2020 according to which company will be diversifying into small fixed wing and seaplane operations; Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) business and development of helipads and Heliports. It is working to develop four “heli-hubs” in line with the concept lines of the “Airport-Hubs” and Rohini is the First step into this series. These heli-hubs will be a one-point solution for the helicopter business and will act as a heliport for public passenger services, MRO facility for helicopter maintenance and also as a skill development centre for training of pilots, AMEs and technicians
