Get Heli launches ‘cheap’ heli-pooling service for UK’s Glastonbury Festival
Get Heli, the online helicopter charter platform, is launching a low-cost heli-pooling service for visitors to this year’s UK Glastonbury Festival, which begins in the south west of England next month.
The business claims to be the first to create a pooling system for helicopters, designed to enable brokers to offer cheaper air travel while reducing the environmental impact of helicopter flights. Helicopter flights from Denham Aerodrome, north east of London, are on offer for £995 plus VAT per person, based on six people sharing a Leonardo AW109 helicopter.
“While helicopter travel has traditionally been reserved for the wealthy, Get Heli’s heli-pooling shuttle system spreads the cost of charter and opens it out to more people – widening brokers’ potential customer base just in time for Glastonbury 2023,” said Get Heli.
The company hopes its new service will prove popular with the more well-heeled show goers anxious to avoid long traffic jams – running to nine hours in previous years – and train strikes. This year the festival is expected to attract about 210,000 people descending on a village built for 10,000.
Laurent Vallet, CEO at Get Heli, said some see the travel as part of the experience, but after five days of partying, many want to avoid travel hardship. “We know the price tag of travelling by helicopter isn’t for everyone, but our clients group together and, taking into account the almost-certain delays when leaving the festival on the Monday, they see the value in the time saved, not just the kudos of travelling by air,” he said.
Vallet added the new service would give brokers access to a wider customer base and a more affordable option to offer alongside their traditional charter services. “Heli-pooling looks set to revolutionise air travel to Glastonbury 2023 and other events popular for helicopter travel,” he said.
Get Heli argued its heli-pooling scheme is “the first answer” to using helicopters in a more planet-conscious way. Flying helicopters full, the heli-pooling system replicates the sharing model used in other transport sectors, such as road travel.
Looking further ahead, Vallet claimed the new service is helping to protect the future of flying. “With the on-going race to introduce the concept of air taxi to replace traditional air shuttle services, the Get Heli pool is at the early stages of redefining travel on heavily congested routes, making it the go-to partner for eVTOL manufacturers.”
With access to a fleet of 130 helicopters, the business books flights for corporate events, special occasions, such as sporting and music events, and sight-seeing tours.
Meanwhile, the five-day Glastonbury Festival of contemporary performing arts begins on June 23rd, at Pilton, Somerset. More information about Get Heli’s new heli-pooling service is available here. Read who’s headlining at this year’s Glastonbury show here.
Above: The Get Heli team – Adeline D’Avout,
Laurent Vallet and Matthew Longville.
Top: Fly from London to the Glastonbury Festival
from £995 plus VAT per person, says Get Heli.
