Campaign race and a poll jam in the skies
₹2.5 lakh, while that of AgustaWestland 109S, a twin-engine helicopter, has increased by about 27% to ₹3.5 lakh. Rates for Beechcraft Super King Air 250, a civil aircraft, have spiked 57% to ₹2.75 lakh an hour. Meanwhile, data from the Airports Authority of India, the body responsible for managing the country’s civil aviation infrastructure, hints at increased usage of private jets for election campaigns.
In February this year, the latest data available, aircraft movements by non-scheduled operators shot up 6.9% over the same month last year. In contrast, in February 2023, such movements declined by 22% over the same month in 2022. One takeoff and landing are counted as two aircraft movements.
Non-scheduled operators, which includes planes used by very important persons (VVIPs), don’t have a pre-planned flying schedule unlike scheduled operators such as IndiGo or Air India. General elections in India are once in a five-year opportunity for aircraft operators. Preparations for leasing their fleet out start early.
Many charter operators Mint spoke to said that they started servicing their fleet in November last year, ensuring that all flying equipment was in shape. Some companies advanced their service schedule by a couple of months. Any aircraft requires routine maintenance, which is after 100 or 200 hours of flying depending on the aircraft type.
Most Indian operators have older generation planes in their kitty—these aircraft require more servicing. “All major maintenance work is completed well before the campaigning starts," Rajesh Sahu, managing director and CEO of Aurea Aviation, an air charter service provider, said. “In case an aircraft needs maintenance-related checks during the election period, the operator has to
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