Financial Times

Civil helicopter flights resume with Deccan
By Duruthu Edirimuni
Commercial domestic helicopter flights resumed after being banned for almost a decade when Deccan Aviation Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. operated their first charter flight on Monday, July 19 using a four-seater Textron Bell 206 B Jet Ranger III helicopter.

"We can land anywhere in cleared areas in Sri Lanka; on the roof of a company, by a lake or even a lawn," Suren Mirchandani, Managing Director, Deccan Aviation told The Sunday Times FT.

Helicopter flights were banned in 1995 when the Eelam war escalated and there were fears the Tiger terrorists could hijack civil aircraft for terrorist attacks. The company, a joint venture between an Indian firm and the Favourite Group, plans to aqcuire a larger helicopter with a seating capacity of six within the next three to six months.

Mirchandani said there is greater demand to the cultural triangle, closely followed by the south coast, Galle and beyond. "We face competition in the leisure segment of the market by the floatplane operations by Sri Lankan Airlines. The charges for the flights range up to US$ 1000 per hour for four passengers and there are half an hour flights ranging from US$ 150 to US$ 200 per passenger."

Deccan Aviation is the largest privately owned helicopter company in India and is backed by a technical tie-up with Bristow Helicopters, a big oil exploration and offshore logistics firm. Deccan Aviation was granted its Air Operating Certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after the National Security Council gave its nod to resume helicopter flights within the country to transport civil passengers.

The applications of eight firms for helicopter operation licences last October are awaiting approval. These include IWS Holdings, Paradise Helicopters, European Helicopter Services, Air Taxis Ltd, Helicopter Mundogas and Nippon Lanka Trading.

According to the procedures drafted by the CAA in close liaison with the Sri Lanka Air Force, civil helicopter operations would not be permitted in to and out of un-cleared areas of the north and east. Operations within the Colombo city limits are not allowed. The operational hours are from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

Back to Business