IIT Kanpur hosts helicopter service

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur is ready for the skies! Its campus will provide the runway to Pawan Hans for operating the first-of-its-kind helicopter ferry service in the country launched at an academic institute.

The service to be launched on June 1, 2013, will have connecting flights between Kanpur and Lucknow, initially. The seven-seater helicopter has a capacity to carry five passengers at a time. IIT guests, faculty, academicians, students and local industrialists will be the beneficiaries of this service. Merchant’s Chamber of Uttar Pradesh is the driving force behind the initiative.  

Presently there is no air-transport between Kanpur and Lucknow. The Kanpur-Delhi flight is also not very conveniently placed, as reportedly the local Chakeri airport requires to be upgraded to support bigger planes for more convenient air connectivity of Kanpur.

While initially the service would be between Kanpur and Lucknow, it’s expected to be extended to New Delhi.