Shanghai Pilots Helicopter Commutes ： Now You Can Fly to PVG!

Shanghai Pilots Helicopter Commutes: Now You Can Fly to PVG!

Exciting news for commuters! Have you ever wondered how much time you'd need to leave in advance to travel from Kunshan, Jiangsu, to Shanghai Pudong Airport? Typically, you'd consider driving or taking a train, right? But what if we told you that you could now hop on a helicopter and cut your travel time to under 30 minutes? 

As of August 10th, Shanghai has successfully trialed its first-ever helicopter taxi service, connecting Pudong International Airport with Kunshan's city terminal. This service, operated by Shanghai Xinkong Helicopter Co., Ltd., marks the official launch of the low-altitude passenger air route between Shanghai and Suzhou in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The helicopter departs from the Kunshan City Terminal, flying approximately 30 minutes before landing smoothly at the Pudong Xingye Aviation Base. This dramatically reduces commute times, making travel far more convenient for the public and signaling a new era in Shanghai-Suzhou air transit.

The aircraft in service is the BELL505, a single-engine, four-seat light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter in the United States. With a top speed of 231 km/h and a maximum range of 566 km, it's perfectly suited for short regional flights.

Currently, the service is in its market promotion phase, with one-way flights priced at ¥1600 to ¥1800 per seat. Passengers can depart from Kunshan City Terminal, reach Shanghai Pudong's landing point in just over 20 minutes, and then transfer via an airport shuttle to their flight. The entire journey, including ground transportation at the airport, takes lessthan an hour.

To put this in perspective, a typical journey from Kunshan to Pudong International Airport requires passengers to leave 4.5 hours in advance for domestic flights and 5.5 hours for international flights. This new low-altitude air route reduces the advance time to just 90 minutes for domestic flights and 120 minutes for international flights. The route is expected to serve 20,000 to 30,000 passengers annually, generating over ¥10 million in economic benefits.

Looking ahead, Shanghai plans to expand its low-altitude flight routes to cover more areas within the Yangtze River Delta, including new routes to Taicang and Wujiang. There are also plans to introduce intra-city air tourism routes, such as from Pudong International Airport to the Baoshan Cruise Tourism Resort.

The public reaction has been a mix of excitement and caution. Many are eager to try out this new service, but some find the price too high, suggesting alternatives like taking a taxi or staying overnight at a hotel near the airport.

Would you take a helicopter to catch your flight?

Source: 新闻坊

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