Palace on Wings: Reaching 'height' of tourism in Rajasthan

On the lines of popular luxury train, Palace on Wheels, Rajasthan government is readying a plan to start luxury helicopters that will show prominent spots of Rajasthan to the tourists. For this ambitious service, 6-8 choppers will be taken on lease. These will cover spots like Amer, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh Fort among others.

The plan was approved during a recent meeting with Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha and the tourism department was asked to prepare a comprehensive plan. It entails a package through which tourists will be taken to prominent forts and heritage sites in a helicopter. The idea is to attract foreign and up-market tourists.

There could be two or three packages which include Amer, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh Fort and Durg. A separate package may have other places of heritage importance.

Recently, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha approved a plan to expand air services in the state. As part of it, palace on wings scheme was also cleared to provide air connectivity to heritage places. Prominent forts, monuments and heritage properties would be connected through helicopter services and the plan is to popularise it like the Palace on Wheels. The helicopterS that would be taken on leases will have heritage facilities.

CM Raje is taking a keen interest in this scheme. Rajasthan would become a major hub of civil aviation and state tourism could reach new heights. It is also possible that in future other historic places in the country may get connected with Rajasthan’s heritage sites.

Palace on Wings - What is the scheme?

• Helicopter service to connect Sawai Madhopur fort, Chittorgarh Fort, Amber Fort and other heritage sites
• 6 to 8 helicopters would be taken on lease
• Helicopters would be multi-engine
• Initially, many forts and historic sites would be covered in a day
• Package would be from morning to evening
• Study of religious and other sites where air connectivity is present

^{source: DNA, rajasthantourismbuzz}