look news india
Lok Sabha elections are going on in the country at this time and six phases of voting have been completed. Now only one phase of voting is left which will be held on June 1. Then the election results will come on June 4, 2024. Helicopter operators have gone completely crazy in this election season. By June 4, their earnings can reach Rs 350-400 crore. Usually the demand for helicopters increases a lot during election campaigns.
Helicopter operators hike fares by 50 per cent
As the election season approaches, all kinds of businesses start gaining momentum. During elections, be it hoarding banners or helicopters used for campaigning of politicians, charges are made on hourly basis. According to a report, the cost of an eight-seater helicopter is around three lakh rupees.
Huge earnings in this election
Now if we consider it in terms of three lakh rupees, then the rent of each helicopter for 180 hours is about 4-5 crore rupees. If reports are to be believed, this Lok Sabha election proved to be the most profitable for helicopter operators. Meanwhile, their earnings have reached about 350-400 crore rupees. It has been said that during the election campaign, the rent of a single engine helicopter with a capacity of six to seven people increases from 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh rupees per hour. Whereas a huge increase has been seen in the rent of Augusta and H145 Abus helicopters with a capacity of seven to eight people. Which has increased from 2.3 lakh to 3 lakh rupees per hour.
This time there is huge profit
Now if we consider it as Rs 3 lakh, then the rent of a helicopter for 180 hours is around Rs 4-5 crore. According to the report, this Lok Sabha election has proved to be the highest earning for helicopter operators and during this time their earnings can reach around Rs 350-400 crore. It has been told that during the election campaign, the rent of single engine helicopters like BEL407 with a seating capacity of 6-7 people has increased to Rs 1.3-1.5 lakh per hour, while the rent of Augusta and a helicopter with a seating capacity of 7-8 people has increased to Rs 1.3-1.5 lakh per hour, a huge increase has been seen in the rent of H145 Airbus helicopter, which has reached Rs 2.3-3 lakh per hour.
The fare of this helicopter is the highest
The third helicopter in the list of helicopters hired for election campaign is the 15-seater Agusta Westland, which starts at Rs 4 lakh per hour. According to the Rotary Wing Society of India, there are about 165-170 non-scheduled operators and about 30-35 rotary engine helicopters. It has no fixed flight schedule and flies when required.
This time the demand is more than the last Lok Sabha 2019
According to the information, its demand has increased during elections. Therefore, helicopter operators charge 40-50 percent more fare than the regular fare. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, this fare has increased by about 20 to 30 percent. This year the demand for helicopters is increasing a lot. Parties have also demanded it. The number of helicopters has not increased.
This is how helicopter operators earn
If we look at the way helicopter operators earn, these helicopter operators sign long-term contracts for 45 to 60 days during elections. During this period they charge on an hourly basis. Which provides helicopter rental for a period of two and a half to three hours. If someone signs a contract for 60 days, the operator is renting the helicopter for 180 hours and going for election campaign. After this, all the expenses of the rented helicopter, whether it flies or not, have to be borne by that party.