KOCHI: Denial of permission by the Navy and insufficient bookings have not bode well for the helicopter service which was launched for cruise tourists from Cochin Port in November last year.After two months of staying non-operational, the service, which was launched as a tourist attraction and aimed at taking visitors to various tourist hotspots, has been temporarily suspended.
However, the officials concerned said online booking for the service will be kept open for now.
The denial of permission by the Navy to regularly land the chopper at and fly from the Cochin Port area proved a major hindrance in operating the service.
An area of five nautical miles (9.2km) surrounding a military establishment is earmarked as no-fly zone. Since Cochin Port Trust (CPT) is situated in the no-fly zone, the Navy’s permission is required to fly any aircraft there.
