Pune: Your plans to take your partner into the clouds this Valentine’s Day has a cloudy future. Though many have booked the immensely popular short-haul chopper rides of 10 minutes, uncertainty persists because the IAF, which manages the ATC in Pune, has not given permission to aviation companies to conduct these rides for the past month. Short-haul rides are essentially an aerial tour of the city that cost between Rs 5,000 and Rs 13,000 per person. In Pune, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) permits these rides only during the weekends. “We have confirmed at least 50-60 bookings this year, which is around 25% more than last Valentine’s Day. These short-haul rides are basically an aerial tour of Pune city and cost between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,500 per person,” Ishwarchandra Gulgule, the head of Kaigu Aviation, said. He added that he had no idea why permissions were not being granted and that they were trying to figure out why. Before the restrictions came in, about 30-40 rides were common every weekend, he said. “On weekdays, ATC didn’t permit these rides, and the choppers are also busy. Presently, there are between three to five single- and twin-engine choppers in Pune, and they operate from helipads in Koregaon Park, Bavdhan, Mhalunge, and one near the Pune-Solapur highway. For joyrides, only single-engine choppers are used. With Valentine’s Day falling on Saturday, we are positive about getting the required clearances from ATC,” Gulgule added.A detailed query on the issue was sent to the Indian Air Force (IAF) via email. However, there was no reply till the time of going to press. Another representative of a company said, “Bookings have increased and we confirmed them too. But, flying will depend on the approval, which will either come on the day of or a day before. We have already informed the clients about the issue, and will refund them in full if we don’t get the permission.”A Kalyaninagar-based couple said they may change their V-Day plans. “If such is the scene, there is no point hanging amid uncertainty. It would have been a good experience for us as we have never been on a chopper. We will keep in touch with the companies, trying to know the status,” the IT professionals who got married recently said.In an earlier conversation, aviation companies as well as pilots had said that flying from Pune on choppers and private fixed-wing aircraft has increased considerably, from an average of 30-40 hours a month a few years ago to over 100 hours a month now.
