Election Time: Choppers On Huge Demand

With elections round the corner in a few states, leaders of various political parties are busy hopping around with their hectic campaigning schedules. It is not an easy task to switch places in the wink of an eye even in one’s own constituency and address back-to-back public meetings and roadshows.

In such a situation, choppers alone seem to the reliable mode of transport to both the regional, state and national-level leaders, to cover maximum number of places in the minimum time.

Along with Telangana, elections are scheduled in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. Of these, elections are yet to be held in Rajasthan and Telangana. With numerous states going for the polls simultaneously, companies lending the helicopters on hire are facing a huge demand.

Mumbai-based private charter company Flying Birds Aviation has four helicopters and six jets. To meet the soaring demand, it had taken one more helicopter for hire.

Gurugram-based Blade India is also struggling to meet the hike in demand for choppers.

“This is just the beginning. More is yet to come. In 2024, we are expecting even more heavy demand,” said Flying Birds CEO Ashish Kumar.

Political parties had already started booking choppers for the 2024 general elections, he added.

During 2019 general elections, there was an average demand of 70-100 helicopters but at that time, there were only 40 choppers available.

This time, the demand shot up to 100-130 but there are only 50-60 airplanes available, sources in the know said.

The increasing demand also led to the companies jacking up the rents.

In 2019, the hourly rent of helicopter used to be in the range of Rs 55,000-Rs 1.30 lakh but now, it has skyrocketed to triple the amount.

Basing on the type of the chopper, political parties are shelling out anything between Rs 2 lakh-Rs 3.50 lakh. Airport charges, airport handling charges, fuel transportation, lodging and boarding for the chopper staff are additional costs which have to be borne by the leaders.

Not just this, the leaders of various political parties are preferring twin engine helicopters, for security reasons, which cost more than the single engine choppers.

In India, there are 155 choppers and government-affiliated Pawan Hans alone possesses one-third of them.

All the private charter companies are contemplating to increase their stocks as the demand would intensify by 2024 general elections.

It is learnt that Blade India is planning to get 5 more helicopters by that time.