The Gujarat government on Saturday launched intrastate air services connecting Surat to four others cities and a helicopter joyride in Ahmedabad.

The daily intrastate flight services, connecting Surat to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Amreli, will be operated by Surat-based Ventura AirConnect, at a launch price of Rs 1,999 per ticket on all these routes, an official said.

A chopper joyride from Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad will be operated by Aerotrans Services, a city-based air charter service company, on weekends, he said.

Gujarat Civil Aviation Minister Purnesh Modi inaugurated the services.

The flight services, launched in collaboration with the state government, will help the elderly and physically-challenged citizens during emergencies, and will aid industries and tourism, the official said.

The flight time from Surat to Bhavnagar will be 30 minutes, while the duration to Amreli will be 45 minutes and 60 minutes to Ahmedabad and Rajkot, it was stated.

As per a release issued by Aerotrans Services, the helicopter joyride from riverfront to Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad will last for nine minutes, with five passengers travelling each trip, costing Rs 2,360 per person per ride.

Another route for the joyride will be from riverfront to Science City and back, which will start from mid-January 2022, it said.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi said the Centre had developed more than 15 airports in the state. Air strips in smaller towns such as Deedsa, Keshod, Amreli, Morbi, Palitana, Rajpipla, Ankleshwar and Mesana will be developed to improve air connectivity.

Apart from the new services, the government also plans to connect Ahmedabad and Bhuj with a 50-seater airplane, the minister said.

"An old plane used by the chief minister will be converted into an air ambulance. The plane will be converted into an air ambulance within three hours. We will charge Rs 50,000 for an hour for the health service with the aim to save lives," Modi said.

On the occasion of the launch, Union Minister of State for Railways Darshanaben Jardosh said the government was moving ahead to realise the prime minister's dream of making even those wearing slippers travel by air.