Tender issued to start suspended helicopter joyride at Statue of Unity

The RFP, which was made public by SOUADTGA on June 14, will allow bidders to submit their interest by June 30.

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In May, GUJSAIL, on behalf of special purpose vehicle Varuna Vayu Seva Limited, issued a fresh RFP for the selection of an airline operator for three years to restart the seaplane project on the route. The last day for submission of bids in this regard is June 28. (Express Photo)

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A month after Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) issued a tender in a bid to restart the seaplane service between Sabarmati Riverfront and the Statue of Unity, the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Authority (SOUADTGA) has issued a tender to resume the suspended helicopter joyride services at the Statue of Unity.

After a GUJSAIL tender to restart the seaplane service, SOUADTGA has now floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the selection of operator for providing helicopter joyride services at the Statue of Unity — to get an aerial view of the world’s tallest statue. The rides were discontinued in 2021, citing “disturbance to the wildlife” in the forest area due to the proximity to the helipad. Now, the take-off of the helicopter is planned from the helipad opposite Arogya Van, as per officials.

The RFP, which was made public by SOUADTGA on June 14, will allow bidders to submit their interest by June 30.

The tender has sought bids from companies and individuals having “prior two years of experience in providing helicopter joyride services for 4-seater (1+3) or more capacity”. “The Operator shall be required to provide helicopter joyride services with one helicopter for a minimum 4-seater (1+3), subject to fair weather conditions and clearance from the ATC and other relevant authorities. The Operations Agreement to be executed with the selected bidder shall be tripartite with the SOUADTGA and GUJSAIL,” the tender stated.

“SOUADTGA has also laid down that the helicopter to be deployed for the project should have proof of ownership of a domestic lease license The last date for submission of the bid is June 30. According to the tender details, the tripartite agreement will be valid for one year,” it further added.
When the helicopter service was pressed into action at SoU in 2018, the fare was Rs 2,900 per person for a ride of 10 minutes.