A HELICOPTER hire service between Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be launched next month, greatly reducing travel time between the two cities. Terminals for the flights will be located in the CBDs of both cities, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported yesterday.

    The helicopter service is provided by Astro Air, a private airline company based in Shenzhen. “We will open trial flights next month,” said a manager of Astro Air, surnamed Zhu, at a press conference Monday.

    This will become one of the first helicopter service centers in China with plans for potential future flights to Hong Kong and Macao.

    The helicopter pads will be located on the roofs of Excellence Century Center Tower 1 in the Futian CBD and Zhujiang New Town in Guangzhou. During the press conference, the company also released other helicopter takeoff and landing locations in different parts of Guangdong. Chopper rides could save passengers an hour in travel time from Shenzhen to Guangzhou, according to the Daily’s report.

    Car hire app Uber previously offered helicopter rental services in Shanghai and Hangzhou, where customers could book a 30-minute flight for 2,999 yuan (US$483). The company also recently expanded the service to Hong Kong, according to South China Morning Post.

    Astro Air also partnered with Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) East theme park to introduce helicopter tours in Yantian District on Friday, becoming the first air service provided by a theme park operator in China. “The low-altitude flights will bring passengers closer to the mountain and sea views in the Yantian area,” said Zhu.

    These helicopters, produced by Bell Helicopter in the United States, can carry four passengers on each flight, while the cost of each helicopter is around 25 million yuan, Zhu added.

    Although the company hasn’t announced the price of the helicopter ride between Shenzhen and Guangzhou, Zhu says it will be reasonable, adding that customers can buy tickets at Shenzhen OCT East theme park or via its online booking website.

    There are over 299 general aviation companies nationwide, but the development of low-altitude aerial tours has been hindered by strict policies and airspace disputes.

    (Zhang Yang)