Coorg and Kabini are among the highlights of any Karnataka vacation and now travelling to these destinations from Bengaluru has just gotten a whole lot easier with a brand new helicopter service. Air mobility platform, Blade India has just launched a by-the-seat helicopter service from Bengaluru to Coorg and Kabini respectively. The scheduled flight routes will shave off about five hours (each way) from the travel time between the destinations, while offering a cheaper alternative to hiring your own private copter. Blade offers an individual seat booking model as well as complimentary cab service.
Image by Blade India
Till date, the journey from Bengaluru to Coorg and Kabini has been known for its heavy traffic and bumpy stretches of road. Bengaluru to Coorg is a 264km journey that usually takes almost six hours, while Bengaluru to Kabini is a distance of 205km. A Blade chopper covers this commute in an hour’s time.
“Most people who go to Coorg look for a weekend getaway, and the ideal time for such a vacation is two days. When you spend 14 hours travelling, it eats into significant vacation time. To ease that, the flight timings have also been decided keeping in mind the check in and check out timing of hotels, so travellers don’t have to spend an additional minute waiting anywhere,” said Mallika Ahluwalia, Blade’s Digital Marketing Executive to Condé Nast Traveller India.
The flights take off from Jakkur Aerodrome in Bengaluru, Evolve Back Resorts in Kabini and from Mercara Downs Golf Course and Evolve Back Resorts in Coorg. According to the Blade team, the locations were chosen keeping centrality in mind. “Jakkur aerodrome is close to the town and most central locations in the city… Near Coorg we land in Madikeri, where most of the properties are located, so everything is just a few minutes away. These are also the only locations suitable for landing a helicopter,” said Ahluwalia.
What to expect on a Blade flight
Don’t let the landing locations confuse you, for anyone can book the helicopter service from the metropolitan irrespective of what their plans are or where they are staying. A one-way flight from Bengaluru to either of the destinations costs Rs16,000 and includes a complimentary pick up and drop service to and from the helicopter.
To ensure safe travel during COVID 19, the team follows stringent health and safety protocols for every flight. Each traveller is required to submit their vacation certificate at the time of booking. Only doubly vaccinated people can get on board. Expect regular temperature checks at the lounge, even though the team ensures that no more than four to five people are present there at any given time.
Travellers can check out flight schedules and book tickets on the Blade website.
