By Lu Xinhua, Yang Liqing and

Wu Saijie

On 20th February, Haimen-Shanghai two-way low-altitude passenger regular route was launched and the first flight was completed.

At 12:40 on 20th February, Mr. Gu, a citizen of Haimen, went to Haimen Funan Lvlang boarding area to check-in. At 12:55, he boarded the BELL505 helicopter waiting to take off. At 13:04, the helicopter took off. At 13:47, the helicopter landed steadily at Shanghai Pudong Xingye Flight Base. The time taken travelling from Haimen to Shanghai Pudong was reduced from about 2 hours on the ground to 43 minutes.

Finishing the ‘air taxi’, Mr. Gu said, ‘it is very convenient for people who travel frequently. We can get rid of traffic jams, and watch the beautiful scenery of the city from the air. The experience is fantastic.’

‘It is our first regular route operated from cities north of the Yangtze River to Shanghai. We will launch it during the morning and evening peak hours every day. Passengers who need it can book in advance. At present, in the promotion stage, our ticket price is 698 yuan.’ Li Yang, vice general manager of Shanghai New Sky Helicopter Co., Ltd., said.