Ho Chi Minh City tests helicopter passenger transport service

A test-flight to examine the passenger transport capacity of a helicopter route between downtown Ho Chi Minh City and local airports has been approved by local authorities.

The Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH South) is scheduled to test a helicopter route between the Saigon Times Square building at 22-30 Nguyen Hue Street in District 1 and two local airports in southern Vietnam today, June 9.

Unlike the first test flight on May 5, which evaluated a new helipad on the Saigon Times Square’s rooftop, this test will assess the helicopter’s capacity for passenger transport.

The flight was approved on May 30 by the Department of Operations under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's.

Managers of the Saigon Times Square building are currently negotiating a long-term contract with VNH South to offer VIP transport services to the Times Square leadership team and guests of the Reverie Saigon Hotel, located inside the building.

The chopper will shuttle between the city’s center and Tan Son Nhat International Airport or Vung Tau Airport, located in the namesake beach city in the southern province of Ba Ria- Vung Tau.

A trip from downtown Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat Airport for four people could cost an estimated US$10,000, the Saigon Times Online quoted an aviation expert as saying.

The helipad on the Times Square building was constructed to facilitate general aviation operations, rescue missions, and disaster relief efforts in the southern metropolis.

Over ten helipads have been established for similar purposes on other high-rise buildings in the city, including the Bitexco Financial Tower, Diamond Plaza in District 1, and Tan Son Nhat Saigon Hotel in Phu Nhuan District.