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A Pawan Hans helicopter

Ashwini Phadnis

New Delhi, Sept. 13 With demand from political parties for helicopters expected to peak in the next few months, the State-owned helicopter operator Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited (PHHL) plans to set aside a portion of their 36-machine fleet for transporting political heavyweights from one election rally to another.

Industry sources told Business Line that the move is well-timed as charter rates for helicopters for elections are between 20 and 30 per cent higher than normal charter rates.

Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh are the five States that will elect new Assemblies before the end of the year.

Two varieties of helicopters — which can carry between five and six passengers and nine and 11 passengers — are expected to be in huge demand during the election campaign.

This is one among the various proposals being examined to improve the profitability of the helicopter operator.

Pawan Hans is also looking to finalise plans for purchasing 16 new helicopters and hopes to complete the process of identifying a supplier before the end of the financial year. Besides, it is also making attempts to increase the serviceability of the fleet so that the helicopters can be used for longer periods without compromising on safety.

The implementation of these proposals is expected to boost the bottom line of PHHL, which expects to post operational profit of between Rs 12 crore and 15 crore the next financial year.

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