To Beat the Traffic in Manila, Just Hail a Helicopter

(Bloomberg) -- A new startup may have the answer for cashed-up travelers desperate to beat the gridlock in the mega cities of Southeast Asia: helicopter ride-sharing.

Ascent Flights Global Pte is starting the service in the Philippines next week and plans to expand to Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia by next year.

The Singapore-based company lets customers book a seat on a helicopter online for flights during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Targeting executives and luxury travelers, the choppers fly to the Makati and Taguig City central business districts, as well as airports in Manila and Clark north of the capital.

The shortest flight between the two business districts cuts travel time from half an hour to 3 minutes, with seats going for 6,900 pesos ($133) each. The longest flight between the two airports will cost 25,900 pesos for a 30-minute trip that would usually take three hours. Local charter business INAEC Aviation Corp. is proving the helicopters and pilots.

“We believe the cost of time is different for those who are time-sensitive,” Ascent founder and former Airbus Helicopters executive Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff said during a press briefing in Manila on Wednesday.

If its Philippine venture succeeds, Ascent wants to start services in Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur in 2020, and then cities in China and Japan. The startup, backed by venture capital company REAPRA Pte., is looking to raise another $3 million to $5 million over the next two years to fund regional expansion.

To contact the reporter on this story: Claire Jiao in Manila at cjiao5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecilia Yap at cyap19@bloomberg.net, ;Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, Angus Whitley

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