Pithoragarh (U'khand) | A helicopter service to the Adi Kailash and the Om Parvat peaks from the Naini Saini Airport in this Uttarakhand district was launched on Monday, officials said.

The service was launched by Joint Magistrate Ashish Mishra.

Under the Uttarakhand government's Heli Darshan scheme, an Mi-19 helicopter will take pilgrims from the airport to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat in the Vyas Valley region and return after hovering over the peaks.

The two-hour trip will cost Rs 40,000, plus GST, per head and be operated by Sky One Airways, District Tourist Officer Kriti Chandra Arya said.

Nineteen pilgrims took the trip on the inaugural run, he said.

For the time being, the scheme is being run on an experimental basis.

"If this experiment turns out to be a success, the trip will be available to tourists five days a week from next month," Arya said.

Mishra said the scheme is an achievement for the state and will help promote the Adi Kailash region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jolingkong for a darshan of the Adi Kailash peak last October led to a rise in popularity of the religious destination among devotees and tourists, he added.