LS Polls: High-end twin-engine choppers charging lakhs for an hour to be used in elections

Mumbai: The demand for twin-engine helicopters and the hourly-rentals have zoomed significantly coinciding with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India with projections that at least 70-100 such copters charging lakhs for an hour would be used.

The demand for rotary-wing aircraft has shot up because of its mobility and fast access to remote places, even though the cost may be high.

Presently the civil registered helicopter fleet in India totals about 250 helicopters out of which the Non-Scheduled Operators Permit-Holders (NSOP) category comprises about 181, government/PSU about 26, and the balance is the private category.

Among the NSOP category, the distribution ratio of single-engine and twin-engine helicopters is around 35:65.

"Around 70-100 helicopters would be available during the elections", highly-placed sources in the aviation sector told Deccan Herald.

The political parties have a well-oiled fine-tuned mechanism to hire helicopters for ferrying top politicians and star campaigners.

“These helicopters are single-engine, twin-engine.....three-seater, six-seater, eight-seater to 11-seaters,” aviation industry sources said.

Choppers of various companies and makes including Bell, Eurocopter, Dauphin, Robinson, Sikorsky, Agusta.

As per the latest information, the per hour charges are from the range of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh depending on the type, company, configuration among other things, sources in the helicopter charter services told DH.

The lion’s share of civilian helicopters in India are used in the oil and gas/energy sector, both onshore and offshore. The remaining are used in communication, medical evacuation, heli-tourism, adventure, joy rides, elections and other services.

The Chopper Factfile 1) Nearly 70 to 100 helicopters, single-engine & twin-engine, would be rented during the three-month polling period 2) Each helicopter would fly 2 to 3 hours on a daily basis 3) During then poll process, the choppers may log between 12,000 to 15,000 flying hours in three months 4) Charges vary from Rs 3 - 5 lakh per hour and upwards depending on the type and configuration 5) The flight duration of one side ranges from 15 to 30 minutes on an average

“Modern helicopters are safer, more efficient and more useful than ever before. They can operate in extreme environments and can be easily reconfigured to suit the needs. India has vast geographical expanse, diverse climates. We have limited helicopters,” the sources said, reasoning about the demand and tariff.

Helicopters have a lot of advantages during the elections— and VVIPs, top politicians and star campaigners prefer speedy travel and coverage of a larger geographical area.

The charter companies also hire private-use helicopters during the election season.

“Indian election campaign scenario is no less than a Bollywood movie, full of dramatics, emotions and actions," said Mumbai-based veteran political journalist B N Kumar.

“And we always see this drama being enacted with the whirring of choppers particularly in rural India,” Kumar, author of Politricks in India: A Third Umpire view of games our leaders play.

"At the same time, he said, use of helicopters does not ensure a level playing field in the democratic process. Only those with huge resources can afford to pay for the choppers or manage to get sponsors,” Kumar said.

He further added that candidates and parties have been reaching out to their audiences through YouTube, Whatsapp, and Instagram. The use of alternative media has also risen dramatically in 2024 elections as compared to previous ones, Kumar added.