Country’s first dedicated heliport opens in Rohini
NEW DELHI: India’s first heliport, built at a cost of ₹100 crore, became operational in northwest Delhi’s Rohini on Tuesday.
The heliport, spread over an area of 25 acres, will provide all operation facilities for helicopters and will decongest the busy Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Delhi Airport currently handles about 40-50 helicopter arrivals and departures on an average daily besides the largescale fixed-wing operations.
The new heliport facility will promote air connectivity in the northern part of the country for regular passenger services, besides providing landing and parking of helicopters, helicopters maintenance services, disaster management, helicopter emergency medical services and law & order surveillance.
The new heliport consists a terminal building that can hold 150 passengers, four hangers with parking capacity for 16 helicopters and nine parking bays.
“We are excited. This is the first such facility in south Asia. India is the fastest growing in the world in terms of passenger traffic. However, when it comes to helicopters and cargo, we have lagged behind. If we want to take it (helicopter industry) to higher levels, (then) it needs training (training in skill development),” Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said while inaugurating the facility.
The first flyers from Rohini heliport were five young boys and girls from CRY, an NGO which works for underprivileged children. They were taken for a joyride over Delhi. Helicopter operator Pawan Hans plans to start joy rides from April .
Delhi lieutenant governor, Anil Baijal, who was present at the launch, congratulated the ministry of civil aviation for the launching the facility at Rohini.
“A hub for all helicopter activities in the northern region. As urban cities expand, we will have to constantly innovate on modes of transport (sic),” Baijal tweeted.
The civil aviation minister said his ministry has made a request to the Delhi L-G as well as the state government for providing Pawana Hans an additional five acres of land for setting up helicopter pilots and AME training centre to meet the growing demand.