Asian on-demand helicopter service Ascent has launched in Thailand. Customers can now avail themselves of private and by-the-seat helicopter flights within and between activity hubs, such as Bangkok, Chonburi and Rayong for business or Hua Hin and Pattaya for leisure. Customers can skip the traffic and access remote locations in a matter of minutes, within a crowd-free and controlled environment, especially as the country emerges from its COVID-19 lockdown. By serving these hubs, Ascent aims at contributing to the growth of businesses and the economy in line with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), Thailand 4.0 and Smart City initiatives.

In partnership with helicopter operators Advance Aviation and SFS Aviation, Ascent users will be able to regain control of their time and enhance their well-being by booking their flights directly from their mobile phones, starting from 8,000 THB per seat. With Ascent, passengers fly on curated aircraft in accordance with COVID-19 related safety protocols such as enhanced aircraft cleaning and frequent health checks on crew.

Founder and CEO Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff says: “The dynamism of Bangkok combined with this new context makes mobility a great challenge for the business community, commuters and tourists. This in turn affects the economy, the environment and people’s well-being especially in such times. In addition, public economic initiatives like the EEC require enhanced mobility solutions. With Ascent, we believe we can elevate mobility to the skies to better connect locations and skip the traffic seamlessly in a safe and more affordable manner. We are excited to open this new chapter of Ascent with partners such as Advance Aviation and SFS Aviation that have driven the industry in Thailand for so long and will ensure our users with the highest operational and safety standards.”

Thailand will now be one of the first few countries in Asia to embrace urban air mobility with Ascent and its partners. “Urban air mobility has been a growing trend in the last few years especially with Ascent in Asia. In line with our focus on private VIP aviation services, our clients can now regain control of their time with Ascent by purchasing flights by the seat, making short-haul trips more cost-efficient, all in a safe environment. This opens up a variety of possibilities including a seamless journey by helicopter from within Bangkok to our base near Suvarnabhumi international airport combined with a private jet to your next location,” states Chai Nasylvanta, president and CEO of Advance Aviation.

Tisanu Ratanarat, CEO of SFS Aviation adds: “SFS Aviation has pioneered the operations of helicopters in Thailand. It is natural for us to join Ascent in initiating this next phase of mobility. With our flight options built into Ascent, users can seamlessly purchase flights from SFS Aviation. This is a new mobility solution for many and a complementary service to our existing clients.” SFS supports a broad range of services like oil and gas, chartering, air ambulance and now urban air mobility with its growing and diversified fleet.

Ascent offers on-demand flights on its platform where users can book and choose from a roster of listed locations by logging on to its website. They can also complement their journey by availing themselves of value-added services including luggage transport, first and last-mile ground transport and fast track amongst other services, directly from the platform. Ascent has also started offering individual and business packages that can be used regionally across all of Ascent’s solutions, with preferential rates and services.