Helicopters in 2024 Election Rallies… Which Party Used How Much?

The use of helicopters during Lok Sabha elections is not new. From leaders of all major and minor political parties to independent candidates, helicopters are widely used. This is the reason why helicopter operators earn huge income during such times. Political parties spend a lot. In this Lok Sabha election too, helicopters have been heavily used, especially by senior cabinet ministers and MPs. Uday Kali said that the operators have earned Rs 350-400 crore in this election season. Such a request has never been seen before. This is the reason for the increase from 35 percent to 40 percent. How much is the fee of any company? According to Uday Kali, the helicopters are rented out on an hourly basis. Their prices vary depending on their make and model. A single engine helicopter like the BEL 407 now charges Rs 1.3-1.5 lakh per hour. It can seat 6-7 people. On the other hand, twin-engine helicopters like the Agusta AW109 and H145 Airbus now charge Rs 2.3-3 lakh per hour. These can seat 7-8 people. A large 15-seater AgustaWestland is available from Rs 4 lakh per hour. It is the first choice of VVIPs due to its stability and convenience. Captain Udai Kheli told TV9 that helicopter operators charged 40-50 percent more than the usual fare during elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he collected 20-30 percent more. This year the demand was very high. There was a demand for this in the state level parties as well. According to reports, BJP and Congress have made advance bookings and big parties like BJP and Congress have booked 6 months in advance. There are about 170 helicopters in the country. These are placed under the category of unscheduled activities. 45 helicopters have been used in this election. Generally, independent candidates use single engine helicopters. But cabinet ministers can use the charter and return to Delhi by evening. This time the helicopter operators have collected 90 hours advance from the political parties. This is called guaranteed hours. BJP took advantage of it. But Mamata Banerjee's party could not use it properly. This time the Trinamool Congress used about 5 helicopters to travel and campaign in the state, while parties like the BJP used 15 helicopters to campaign across the country.