With fog, fewer flights in this fight

The foggy weather likely to continue into early February may ground the plans of political parties to fly their star campaigners from meeting to meeting on helicopters, say air-charter companies and aviation experts.

They have cautioned that scheduling helicopters alone to transport top leaders may jeopardise the campaigning schedule in the northern Indian States during these months.

The worst hit will be the parties in Punjab, which is going to the polls on February 4. Even those in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be affected, experts say.

“Fog conditions are a common phenomenon in North India up to February 15, and this restricts flying of helicopters for VVIP movements. Weather is the biggest problem in conducting political meetings that are to be addressed by top leaders. Campaigning in Punjab will be affected severely as helicopters cannot fly in fog,” says Rajeev Wadhwa, founder and chief executive of Baron Aviation Group.

“Depending fully on helicopter will be foolish as chief campaigners may be held up at airports or airstrips, affecting campaigning. Political parties must make alternative road transport ready should the weather turn bad. February and March are unfavourable for flying helicopters in the north.”

The announcement of election dates has come as a shock for the air-charter companies as players were expecting the elections in March and April. Though political parties have blocked helicopters for election use, they have not finalised the bookings.

Poor prospects

“The process has started from today, and the picture will be clear in two or three days. The decision to call for election so early is shocking for us as private jets and helicopters cannot be used in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. We may lose 50 per cent of our projected business,” said a senior official of an air-charter operator, who asked not to be named.

“It will be very challenging for air-charter companies to position helicopters in the three northern States during the elections and operating them with VVIPs,” the official said.

Aviation experts said considering the safety of the VVIPs and the equipment, the ultimate decision on flight operation must be left to the pilots.

Nearly 40 helicopters were expected to be used in the campaigning with each flying an average 100 hours a month for the two election months. But now with the weather playing spoilsport, the air-charter industry is staring at loss of business.