B Ravi Pillai becomes the first Indian to own an Airbus luxury helicopter worth Rs 100 crore

RP Group chairman Ravi Pillai spent around Rs 100 crore for the Airbus D3 helicopter. It is capable of handling up to seven passengers and two pilots and can land on and take off even at altitudes as high as 20,000 feet above the sea level.

B Ravi Pillai, chairman of RP Group of companies, on March 20 became the first Indian to own an Airbus H 145 helicopter, estimated to be worth around Rs 100 crore.

The helicopter was delivered by Airbus in Kovalam and took its inaugural flight from Kovalam to The Raviz Ashtamudi with the RP Group Vice-Chairman on board.

The helicopter is the first Airbus D3 helicopter in India and the first five-bladed H145 helicopter in Asia.

The RP Group has helipads at The Raviz Kadavu in Kozhikode, The Raviz Ashtamudi in Kollam, and The Raviz Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram.

The helicopter is capable of handling up to seven passengers and two pilots and can land on and take off even at altitudes as high as 20,000 feet above the sea level.

The H145 is the latest member of Airbus' four-tonne-class twin-engine rotorcraft product range.

The 68-year-old Ravi Pillai is worth $2.5 billion and has on his various company rolls about 70,000 employees.