newstodate.aero
Mar 09, 2011 (newstodate): Estonian Air is continuing its assessment of the viability of a helicopter service between Tallinn and Helsinki.
The board of Estonian Air has asked the airline to analyze the potentials for a helicopter line to provide convenient and fast air connections from Tallinn as well as supporting the carrier's eastward transit traffic at Tallinn Airport.
-The two cities of Tallinn and Helsinki are so close, yet divided by the sea, but there is a strong demand in the market for easy and fast transportation for businessmen and others with daily business in one or the other of the two cities, says Andrus Aljas, Estonian Air CEO.
-No decision has yet been made, but it is absolutely feasible to set up a helicopter connection. Of course the traffic will go in both directions and our aim would not be to feed traffic into a competing carrier's network. This could, however, easily be precluded through scheduling.
-I am also convinced that there is a market for the service to provide Finnish passengers with fast and easy transfer options from Tallinn to destinations like Moscow, St Petersburg, Minsk, and Kiev.
-We also draw on the experience from the earlier helicopter service between Tallinn and Helsinki which, however, ended tragically with a fatal accident in 2005 after five years of operation.
-It proved that there is an annual market of approximately 25,000 passengers on the projected route, and this is absolutely worth considering closely, says Mr Aljas.
The board of Estonian Air has asked the airline to analyze the potentials for a helicopter line to provide convenient and fast air connections from Tallinn as well as supporting the carrier's eastward transit traffic at Tallinn Airport.
-The two cities of Tallinn and Helsinki are so close, yet divided by the sea, but there is a strong demand in the market for easy and fast transportation for businessmen and others with daily business in one or the other of the two cities, says Andrus Aljas, Estonian Air CEO.
-No decision has yet been made, but it is absolutely feasible to set up a helicopter connection. Of course the traffic will go in both directions and our aim would not be to feed traffic into a competing carrier's network. This could, however, easily be precluded through scheduling.
-I am also convinced that there is a market for the service to provide Finnish passengers with fast and easy transfer options from Tallinn to destinations like Moscow, St Petersburg, Minsk, and Kiev.
-We also draw on the experience from the earlier helicopter service between Tallinn and Helsinki which, however, ended tragically with a fatal accident in 2005 after five years of operation.
-It proved that there is an annual market of approximately 25,000 passengers on the projected route, and this is absolutely worth considering closely, says Mr Aljas.