Heli-taxi service remains grounded

Shimla: High-end tourists are keeping away from Himachal Pradesh since neither adequate flights nor the heli-taxi service is available in the state. Efforts to revive the heli-taxi service have been unsuccessful in the state since service providers demand huge subsidy to start the operations and also, there are no good helipads available in Shimla to land the choppers.
Heli-taxi service was launched in Himachal Pradesh on January 29, 2011, from Annadale ground by two service providers including Ludhiana-based Shiva Heli Services and Mumbai-based Simm Samm Airways Private Limited. But due to lack of response from tourists and the expense involved, the service was grounded. This year, the state tourism department had tried to revive the scheme things didn't work out as planned. Highly-placed sources in the tourism department said that basic condition to launch the scheme was that a helipad should be located close to Shimla.
ead news in full 18/10/13 Anand Bodh/Times of India