LANGKAWI, 18 Feb 2018:
In the next three months, a new app called Heli Taxi will be available for smartphone users – to book helicopter service that will fly them to their destinations.
Currently being developed by Heli Outpost Sdn Bhd, the app will enable booking helicopter service at your fingertips as easy as booking a ride on your favourite taxi.
Headed by the company’s chief executive officer Faiz Fahmi Sazali, 29, a Langkawi Island native, the app was conceptualised based on ‘real-time location tracking’, as well as payment systems for easy access by customers and can change the booking method used from manual to digital.
“The application comprises two services, namely the Helicopter Tour where tourists can book helicopters to fly around the Langkawi Island through the existing packages provided, and the Helicopter Taxi where people can book a helicopter ride to fly to their destinations, for example to fly from Alor Setar to Ipoh.”
Faiz Fahmi said there are now 11 helicopters available for customers – six Robinson 44 (R44) aircraft that can accommodate four passengers, including the pilot, and five Robinson 66 (R66) model to carry five passengers, involving locations such as Langkawi Island, Kuala Terengganu, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Port Dickson.
Of these, three helicopters are stationed in Langkawi Island with all flights operated by Cempaka Helicopter Corporation Sdn Bhd which has operating licence.
Faiz Fahmi said since the commercial and tourism helicopter service was introduced in 2009, it received good response, and in the first three years of operation, it recorded 5,000 passengers annually.
He said the number had been increasing over the years and last year, the company recorded the highest number thus far, at 18,000 passengers, an average of 20 flights per day, where the majority of the patrons were the tourists from the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday announced an allocation of RM1.315 billion for implementation of five new government projects here under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).
The projects are construction of additional building for Langkawi Hospital (RM500 million), quarters for health staff ((RM135 million), new fire and rescue station, as well as quarters, at Padang Matsirat (RM30 million), upgrading of Jalan Bulatan Lapangan Terbang- Pulapol Langkawi (RM50 million) and project to address water supply problem (RM600 million).
“At present, the Langkawi Hospital can only accommodate 110 beds, while the bed occupancy rate is nearly 90%. Therefore, the Langkawi Hospital additional building project has been approved under the Third Rolling Plan of the 11MP.”
The new hospital building, he said, would be equipped with 220 beds, wards for intensive care and coronary unit, as well as other facilities.
Najib said the project would also provide facilities for full-paying patients to meet the demand for health-tourism in Langkawi which had yet to have a private hospital.
On the project to address water supply in Langkawi, he said, it was allocated the biggest allocation among the five projects as it was intended to be a long-term solution.
He said currently the capacity of water production in Langkawi had reached the maximum level of 89.4 million litres daily and the project, which would involve off-river storage at Padang Matsirat, would ensure additional water supply of 124.48 million litres daily that would be sufficient to accommodate water supply needs until 2040.
“Implementation of the project started early this year and is expected to ready in 2022.”
– Bernama