Similar Tour In Hong Kong Costs HK$1,388 (US$179) Per Person
The Peninsula Hong Kong offers helicopter tours of Victoria Harbor
Undaunted by strict low-altitude airspace controls and the regulatory nightmare that is applying for air traffic permission, the five-star Peninsula Shanghai has drawn up plans to shuttle guests on helicopter sightseeing tours of the famous Bund, replicating a similar tour the hotelier offers at its Hong Kong property. Currently, the Peninsula is working with China’s civil aviation regulator on the plan, with Shen Zejiang, director of the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, hammering out details with Michael Kadoorie, chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, parent company of the Peninsula Hotels.
Still, these negotiations will likely be far from easy. Via Shanghai Daily:
China has not opened low-altitude air traffic to the public on the mainland. That means the hotel would have to apply to the regulator each time it wanted to land or take off – which in each case could take several days for approval.
The hotel in the Bund area is near many high-rises and is covered by strict noise controls, so winning permission to use the helicopter could be very complicated, an official with a domestic business jet company said.
Shanghai has no business that operates helicopters and mainly uses helicopters on police patrols, medical assistance and rescue.
The city has a heliport, the Gaodong Airport, which is China’s first helicopter base for sea rescue, close to Pudong International Airport.
Despite miles of red tape ahead, if the Peninsula is indeed able to eventually open a helipad for guests, it will give the hotel an edge over its many close competitors in Shanghai and probably prove quite lucrative for the hotelier. A similar helicopter tour offered at the Peninsula Hong Kong, which whisks guests around Victoria Harbor and includes a champagne brunch, runs HK$1,388 (US$179) per person.
