Frequency of Kolkata-Digha chopper service may be doubled

The state transport department is planning to make the Kolkata-Digha helicopter service available twice a week. 

It came with a success as all the tickets for the first three weeks have already been booked within a couple of days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the service on Wednesday. 

The helicopter service is available only on Saturdays from the city and it will return on the same day. 

Seven people can fly in a helicopter at a time. 

The helicopter will take off from Behala Aiport at 10.30 am on every Saturday. For the first time it will take passengers to Digha on December 26 and it will take just 45 minutes to reach the destination. Again, the helicopter will leave for Kolkata at 2 pm on the same day.

The tickets for the first three Saturdays have been booked online and hundreds of people from different parts of the state contacted the transport department officials to get information about the service. 

People called up the transport department and requested to make the facility available for two days every week. 

They had regretted for failing to secure a ticket for the Kolkata-Digha helicopter service in the first three weeks and enquired whether return tickets were available. 

But no tickets are available for both Kolkata to Digha and the return journey on December 26 and January 2 and 9. 

Another feather in the crown of the favourite sea side destination in the state has been added with the success of the helicopter service. No proper initiative was taken earlier to improve the basic infrastructure in Digha. 

But in the past four years, the tourist spot has been given a new look. 

The sea shore has been well decorated and initiative was taken to make the area a Wi-Fi zone. 

People are more enthusiastic as they do not have to travel much to reach the sea shore after getting down from helicopter, as the landing ground is just a five to 10 minutes walk from the sea shore. The helicopter will land in New Digha.   

The state government has taken the initiative to make Digha one of the best tourist destinations in the country. 

It may be mentioned that Kolkata-Digha Duranta Express was started when Mamata Banerjee was the railway minister.