Limo In The Sky: Helicopter Service A Big Hit In Pune

Make way, limos-helicopters for hire are here. The Oxford helipad at Bavdhan, a suburb of Pune city, saw the launch last year-end of a new mode of transport that offers to literally leapfrog the crawling road traffic. On December 11, 2022, former IAF officer Nitin Welde took off on his maiden commercial flight in a helicopter, carrying six passengers who paid an all-inclusive inaugural fare of Rs 5000 each for a 10-minute joyride over the sprawling city of the Peshwas. Group Captain (retired) Welde, who has launched his Mahalaxmi Aviation under the umbrella of 17-year-old construction company Mahalaxmi Developers, has since taken his ‘birds’ on flights for a variety of clientele: for a ‘Pune darshan’ sightseeing trip offering an aerial view of the city’s attractions, a ‘Dev darshan’ temple tour covering pilgrimage destinations like Tuljapur, Shani Shingapur, Shirdi, Mahalaxmi Kolhapur, Pandharpur, Akkalkot and Shegaon in Maharashtra with an option to choose any other spot anywhere in India, and private charters for weddings – including showering the bridal couple and their guests with rose petals – and business trips. In keeping with the current need with elections round the corner all over India, it has flights for political rallies, especially in far-flung areas and outlying rural areas for politicians to address gatherings to explain their agendas. In today’s world, the flier’s website says, a helicopter is not just an enjoyment but is becoming a need in our day-to-day life. The developer’s take-off in the new business is in consideration of the prospects: a “collaborative effort to save time with the use of modern technology”. The aim: to create a sweet spot where belief and devotion meets comfort and luxury. As its tagline says: “#helicopterspreadsjoy”

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