By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The much-awaited heli-taxi service between Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and Electronics City will be launched on February 21, according to the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). While the exact prices are yet to be fixed, it is expected that a one-way trip, taking approximately 15 minutes, will cost around Rs 3,500. “There are 90 helipads in Bengaluru that could be put to use for such services,” Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO, BIAL, said.

He was addressing a gathering of members of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) here.Marar said customers who decided to use the heli-taxi service would be driven from the terminal in a car to the take off area. The service will be launched by Thumby Aviation and Group Captain (retd) K N G Nair. The final prices and schedule will be announced in a few days.

Marar said they will introduce Aadhaar-based verification of passengers within the next six months. “Your biometrics will identify you through Aadhaar and your ticket will confirm that you have booked a flight. Once you use biometrics for authentication, our scanners can track your face and open gates for you as you walk through the airport,” he said.

On the issue of transport to the airport, Marar said that BIAL was working closely with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to introduce check-in kiosks on the Vayu Vajra bus service to KIA. “This way, customers can print out their boarding passes and luggage tags in the bus itself. This will be launched soon,” he said. Currently, some Vayu Vajra buses have started displaying flight timings and schedules enroute to the airport.