Patna: The whirr of helicopter blades and sweeping views of the Ganga marked a new chapter in Bihar’s tourism sector on Saturday as CM Samrat Choudhary inaugurated the ‘Patna Joyride’ under the “Mukhyamantri Bihar Heli-Tourism and Air Tourism Service Scheme-2026”. The initiative offers residents and visitors a chance to see the state capital from an altitude of 1,200 feet.The service will operate exclusively from Patna airport every Saturday and Sunday with flights scheduled after 3pm. Four rides will be available each day at 30-minute intervals with a maximum of five passengers on each flight. The 10-minute helicopter ride has been priced at Rs 2,100 per person, making the experience accessible to a wider section of tourists.The route offers passengers a bird’s-eye view of some of Patna’s best-known landmarks, including the Ganga, J P Ganga Path and Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib, along with other attractions across the city. Officials said the initiative was expected to add a new dimension to Bihar’s tourism sector and would later be expanded to other historical and religious circuits in the state.The response has been encouraging with nearly 80 tourists pre-booking seats for the coming weekends. On the inaugural day, however, only 20 passengers took the ride because of operational scheduling.Arvind Kumar, among the first passengers, said the experience exceeded expectations. “The view of the city from the helicopter looked extremely wonderful. We were given a ride time of 10 minutes, but were taken around for about 15 minutes. We went to Patna Sahib via J P Ganga Path and then returned while taking in an aerial view of the eastern part of the city. Getting the helicopter ride facility for just Rs 2,100 is a very good initiative. Everyone should enjoy it,” he said.Another first-day rider, Manish Goyal, said, “The scheduled time for the ride was 10 minutes, but we were taken around in the helicopter for about 20 minutes. From above, the view of Patna city looked extremely wonderful. Several prominent places, including Bairiya Water City Park, were seen from above during the joyride. We had been waiting for this facility for a long time.”Launching the service, Samrat said it would give tourism in Bihar “new momentum” by offering “a unique opportunity to view the state’s historical, religious, cultural and natural sites from the air”. He said the initiative would attract investment, create jobs and strengthen Bihar’s tourism and civil aviation infrastructure.
