As political parties prepare to fight it out in the Lok Sabha polls, the demand for chartered planes and helicopters is expected to jump by up to 40 per cent compared to the previous general elections, according to industry experts.

Helicopters are anticipated to be more in demand compared to fixed-wing aircraft as choppers will help in providing accessibility to rural and remote areas in a shorter time.

“There will be an exponential demand for private jets and the demand is expected to outstrip the availability of chartered planes and helicopters. There is a limited supply of chartered planes and helicopters,” Club One Air CEO Rajan Mehra told PTI. With increased demand, some players will be taking chartered planes and helicopters on lease during the general elections for which the dates are expected to be announced in the coming days.

Chartered plane and helicopter services are charged on an hourly basis. The industry experts opined that the prices can vary between Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 5.25 lakh per hour for a chartered plane. For a helicopter, the hourly charge will be around Rs 1.5 lakh.

Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) Managing Director Captain R K Bali said.