Majority of UAE helipads not approved for landing

Jun 23, 2008 19:43:47

By Zoe Sinclair and Joy Sengupta (Our staff reporters) 23 June 2008 DUBAI — Hundreds of helicopter landing sites are marked on skyscrapers or buildings' grounds across the country but only a handful are approved, according to a senior official with the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Despite strong demand for air taxis, industry officials are doubtful of the current capacity for helicopter taxis and say private jets are more likely. However, Cars Taxi, which announced plans for a helicopter taxi last year, is proceeding with studies, senior officials of the company said. According to the plan, a fleet of 10 helicopters would be used under this service, which starts from 2009. The service would be provided to VIPs initially followed by an expansion across the UAE, the officials added. They said the helicopters could be leased from the many European companies. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Abdulla Sultan Al Sabbagh, Executive Director of Cars Taxi, said, 'Only recently, one of our teams visited some European countries, including Germany and Spain, to get feedback and information about the helicopter taxi operations there. Moreover, we had teams of experts from both these countries visiting Dubai. 'We have undertaken a detailed study about the different aspects of the project. The study comprises many areas, including the options of using the many helipads. We would go further only after the study is completed,' he added. Cars Taxi Company has a fleet of more than 800 taxis in Dubai alone. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.as p?xfile=data/theuae/2008/June/theuae_June792. xml§ion=theuae&col=