The Airport Security Force (ASF) on Tuesday stopped media crews from boarding helicopters of Princely Jets with their cameras just when the groups were about to take an aerial tour of the city in the country’s first commercial helicopter tour service.
The tour, which was planned almost a month ago, was allowed to take off only after the intervention of Prime Minister’s Aviation Adviser Shujaat Azeem, who acknowledged the need for portraying Pakistan’s soft image. Princely Jets is offering a wholesome experience of Karachi without the worry of getting across the ruthless city traffic or stepping into ‘unsafe’ territory. “The city is unsafe on the ground, not in the skies,” chaffed Ghouse Akbar, the CEO of the private charter jets company at the launch of the service on Tuesday. Akbar explained that the idea of a helicopter tour over Karachi had evolved when Pakistani expats had contacted him expressing the wish to take their children sightseeing in Karachi. But they were scared because of the law and order situation. “So I gave them a solution,” he said happily. “Take a heli-tour.”
