Pilgrimage to Manas Sarovar will become a lot easier shortly with Jagson Airlines planning to introduce helicopter service to China border.
Disclosing this ata press conference here on Thursday, Jagson chairman J P Gupta said his carrier was in talks with the Uttarakhand government in this regard.
His company would press into service a brand new 26-seater MI-172 helicopter on the route which will take pilgrims from Pantnagar to a point on the China border.
From this point, Manas Sarovar would be two hours by trek, thus reducing the 18-day journey from Delhi, he said. Gupta announced that his airline, which has three Dorniers and two helicopters in its fleet, has been given the ‘regional airline’ status by the civil aviation ministry.
Purchase or lease
He disclosed that his company was considering purchase/lease of six more aircraft of 50-70 seats and ply them in north India.
Currently connecting several North Indian cities and hill stations besides Mumbai and Shirdi, Jagson would expand mainly in North and Central India. Jagson is the second carrier to get the regional airline status after the Chennai-based Star Aviation and Delhi-based MDLR Airlines.
