Beijing 'dial a cab'
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Beijing 'dial a cab'
Can't get a cab in Beijing? No problem as dial-a-chopper takes off and 10,000 sign up for a ride
Commuters facing packed trains and gridlocked roads in Beijing now have another travel option - after China launched a dial-a-chopper service.
The helicopter hailing scheme has already proved a hit in China's congestion-hit capital with more than 10,000 people signing up for a ride.
But on the launch weekend, just 100 people managed to hail a ride such was the demand, according to the company behind the project.
The 142-mile Beijing-Tianjin round trip in a Bell-429 helicopter cost 3,500 yuan (£360) per person, while the roundtrip to suburban Yanxi Lake cost 1,999 yuan (£206).
The transport initiative was jointly launched by Chinese general aviation operator Reignwood Star Co Ltd and China's biggest taxi hailing platform.
Thousands signalled their interest in the service using the Did Kuadi platform. But Lv Gang, Reignwood Star's marketing chief, told Reuters: 'It was a three-day trial run from May 15.
'So many people signed up for it, but we didn't have the capacity to accommodate them.'
Helicopter leisure flights are a new concept in China where the military controls most of the airspace.
Reignwood must apply for regulatory approval for tours one day in advance, even though Beijing has simplified flight approval procedures for private aircraft since late 2013.
China is expected to become one of the world's biggest small aviation markets in the next five years as Beijing gradually lifts restrictions on flying at low altitude.
The helicopter hailing scheme has already proved a hit in China's congestion-hit capital with more than 10,000 people signing up for a ride.
But on the launch weekend, just 100 people managed to hail a ride such was the demand, according to the company behind the project.
The 142-mile Beijing-Tianjin round trip in a Bell-429 helicopter cost 3,500 yuan (£360) per person, while the roundtrip to suburban Yanxi Lake cost 1,999 yuan (£206).
The transport initiative was jointly launched by Chinese general aviation operator Reignwood Star Co Ltd and China's biggest taxi hailing platform.
Thousands signalled their interest in the service using the Did Kuadi platform. But Lv Gang, Reignwood Star's marketing chief, told Reuters: 'It was a three-day trial run from May 15.
'So many people signed up for it, but we didn't have the capacity to accommodate them.'
Helicopter leisure flights are a new concept in China where the military controls most of the airspace.
Reignwood must apply for regulatory approval for tours one day in advance, even though Beijing has simplified flight approval procedures for private aircraft since late 2013.
China is expected to become one of the world's biggest small aviation markets in the next five years as Beijing gradually lifts restrictions on flying at low altitude.
There is a faster, cheaper platform at Tianjin station.
Now express inter-city bullet trains from Tianjin, operated by China Railway High-speed (CRH) on the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, travel at a top speed of 300-350km/hr, meaning you can connect to Beijing South Station, 114 km away, in just half an hour. - See more at: Tianjin Station | Beijing Visitor - China Travel Guide
Now express inter-city bullet trains from Tianjin, operated by China Railway High-speed (CRH) on the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, travel at a top speed of 300-350km/hr, meaning you can connect to Beijing South Station, 114 km away, in just half an hour. - See more at: Tianjin Station | Beijing Visitor - China Travel Guide
