Lack of Helicopter for Election Campaign, Renting Costs Rs 3,000 per Minute

Political parties are actively campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. However, there is a lack of helicopters for campaigning. Several political parties have already booked helicopters. The ruling BJP leads the list. Even if other teams approach private companies for bookings, there is still a desire to rent the available 60 to 70 helicopters. While big political parties like the BJP and the Congress are not having much trouble with helicopter campaigns, tiny parties are in trouble due to financial limitations.

Helicopter rates have risen by 15 to 20 percent over the last six months. The ticket for a single-engine helicopter is Rs 1,500 per minute, whereas a double-engine helicopter costs Rs 3,000 per minute. Helicopters of various private companies in the country are being booked from Delhi. The demand for charter helicopters in the country has increased in comparison to previous years, and so has the rent. The number of twin-engine helicopters in the country is minimal. India currently has 254 chartered helicopters. Out of them, 190 helicopters are working in the public sector.

These fields include defense operations, corporate benchers, and offshore missions. So there are just 60 to 70 helicopters available for the election campaign. The majority of the available helicopters are scheduled six months in advance. As a result, political parties are competing to book the remaining helicopters.