On Wednesday, a tech startup company launched a service that offers a ride-sharing service using helicopters to spare commuters from the traffic congestion, especially in Metro Manila.
Ascent Urban Air Mobility promised to cut hours-long commutes in Metro Manila’s traffic-choked roads to just a few minutes.
“Despite being one of the fastest growing business hubs in Southeast Asia, Manila’s traffic situation is also one of the most challenging in the region. We hope to provide a solution that is highly relevant to the current times’ economic productivity pitfalls,” Ascent CEO Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff said.
Based on a report by ABS-CBN, Ascent said that passengers can book a helicopter seat through their company’s website and fly between locations such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), central business districts in Makati, Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig, and Quezon City, as well as regional locations in Clark and Tagaytay.
The company will utilize 7-seater Bell 429 and 5-seater Airbus H125 helicopters operated by pioneer air operator Inaec Aviation Corp.
During their launch, Ascent said that a ride from the NAIA to BGC will take just 10 minutes and costs Php 8,900 per person. Meanwhile, if you’re heading to Quezon City from the airport, it will only take 15 minutes and would cost Php 10,900.
“With the launch of Ascent in the Philippines, we hope to provide a solution that is highly relevant to the current times’ economic and productivity pitfalls caused by congested roads,” Mr Sinai-Sinelnikoff said.
But aside from the ride-sharing service, they also offer a luggage transport, on-ground guest assistance, airport transfers via helicopter, shuttle services to dedicated heliports, corporate packages, and dedicated enterprise solutions.
The company is also looking forward to make these services accessible to more customers and plans to expand more locations in the Philippines, including major cities in Visayas and Mindanao, and eventually to other Southeast Asian countries.
It will be recalled that Grab and Uber first offered helicopter rides in the country few years ago, but they are no longer offering these services.
source: trendszilla