East Pakistan Helicopter Service

[1] In 1963, the national airline PIA (which evolved from the Calcutta-based Orient Airways) launched scheduled helicopter flights between Dacca and regional cities.

For short-haul operations in East Pakistan's delta region, PIA set up a network of scheduled helicopter routes, using Sikorsky S-61Ns.

[3] The PIA S-61Ns were configured to carry a total of 24 passengers with four crew members and 1,800 lb of cargo.

[3] 20 towns and cities covered by the network,[1] including Bogra, Sirajganj, Chittagong, Mongla, Kushtia, Barisal, Chandpur, Sandwip and Hatiya Upazila.

[4] PIA began switching to fixed wing aircraft for domestic operations in the late 1960s.