Affluent Kelantanese folk ‘balik kampung’ via helicopter for Hari Raya

Kuala Lumpur — Of course, everyone wants to go home for the holidays, but no one wants to get stuck in holiday traffic jams. One option for the well-heeled is via helicopter, and businessmen from Kelantan are seizing the opportunity, hefty price notwithstanding.

According to Malay language daily Sinar Harian, more than 20 helicopters have been  prepared for the very special purpose of providing a balik kampung ride in style just in time for the Hari Raya festive season.

This service, introduced by the Hazmi Dimasyq Group three years ago, includes not only helicopters but also private jets.

Thirty-one-year-old Hamzi Hanipa, the owner of Hazmi Dimasyq Group, says that this is actually the first year that the firm is offering chartered flights specifically for Hari Raya.

Malay Mail reports him as saying “So far, we have 11 requests for the Kuala Lumpur-Kota Baru route, which has the highest demand.”

Flights begin on Monday, June 3. Normally, there are only 6 helicopter flights available daily, but during the Hari Raya, there will be more than 20 flights per day.

The price? A cool RM 30,000 (S$9,871). And that’s just for a one-way ride.

The Hazmi Dimasyq Group offers two kinds of helicopter rides, three seaters and six seaters. For every flight of six passengers, the company charges RM17,000 (S$ 5,594) per hour, with flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru lasting three hours.

This certainly beats many balik kampung rush hour stories, which tell of road trips as long as 18 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru. Normally the 440-kilometer trip should only take between six to seven hours.

Mr Hamzi added, “Alhamdulillah, looking at the requests, we will continue this service for the next festive seasons.”/ TISG