India gets Eurocopter's choppers for Heli Tourism

Eurocopter India, the Indian subsidiary of the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer, Eurocopter, has introduced the AS350 B3 Ecureuil and EC130 B4 helicopters in India to promote Heli tourism in the southern state of Kerala, the company said.

According to a statement from the Company, the AS350 B3 Ecureuil is currently flying tourists to places like Vaishno Devi, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Amarnath as well as for corporate transportation, while the EC130 B4 is the only helicopter designed for heli-tourism mission.

An EC130 B4 helicopter can accommodate 8 passengers and provides spectacular aerial view of destinations from its open cabin architecture, Eurocopter said in a statement.

Rohit Kumar, head of Eurocopter India Bangalore office, stressed that both the helicopters are popular across the world for their technical capabilities as well as reliability and high performance levels. They are capable of flying at varied altitudes and under challenging conditions, he said during a seminar on “Heli Tourism and Heliport Operations” organized by Cochin International Airport in association with Kerala State Tourism Development Corporation and Rotary Wings Society of India on Tuesday.

Eurocopter, that began operations from its Indian subsidiary in October 2010, has currently 23 civil and government Indian operators, with the latest purchase of five of these helicopters made during the recently concluded air show, Aero India 2011.

With the new helicopters introduced in Kerala, India’s top tourist destination, the state tourism officials are hoping to cash in on the maximum benefits of Heli tourism to attract more foreign visitors.