New Delhi: Political parties will soon join the aam aadmi in complaining about rising airfares.
With elections to five States slated for this year and the general elections due before May 2014, the cost of transporting leaders by private planes and helicopters will soar, partly because of a supply-demand mismatch and partly because of the depreciating rupee.
The cost of chartering an aircraft or helicopter can rise 15-23 per cent during the forthcoming elections say industry watchers.
Political parties’ transport bills are set to soar with extensive air travel unavoidable, especially for the star campaigners. State-owned Pawan Hans Helicopter Ltd, the nation’s largest helicopter operator, has hiked charter rates by about 25 per cent since 2009, when the last general election took place. But the higher rate is only for its newly-inducted Dauphin N series. Parties hiring the Dauphin N copters will pay Rs 2.5 lakh a day and Rs 1.82 lakh an hour (for a minimum of three hours) against the Rs 2 lakh/day and Rs 1.46 lakhan hour they were paying earlier. Topping this amount is a service tax. For single-engine Bell helicopters, the hike is marginal: about Rs 83,000 an hour from about Rs 80,000, industry watchers say.
20/07/13 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line
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With elections to five States slated for this year and the general elections due before May 2014, the cost of transporting leaders by private planes and helicopters will soar, partly because of a supply-demand mismatch and partly because of the depreciating rupee.
The cost of chartering an aircraft or helicopter can rise 15-23 per cent during the forthcoming elections say industry watchers.
Political parties’ transport bills are set to soar with extensive air travel unavoidable, especially for the star campaigners. State-owned Pawan Hans Helicopter Ltd, the nation’s largest helicopter operator, has hiked charter rates by about 25 per cent since 2009, when the last general election took place. But the higher rate is only for its newly-inducted Dauphin N series. Parties hiring the Dauphin N copters will pay Rs 2.5 lakh a day and Rs 1.82 lakh an hour (for a minimum of three hours) against the Rs 2 lakh/day and Rs 1.46 lakhan hour they were paying earlier. Topping this amount is a service tax. For single-engine Bell helicopters, the hike is marginal: about Rs 83,000 an hour from about Rs 80,000, industry watchers say.
20/07/13 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line
