Charter flight operations soar above 1,164 mark in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: With the campaign for the high-stake election for 182 assembly constituencies of Gujarat in full swing, charter flight movement at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport touched an all-time high last month. From November 10 to December 10, as many as 1,164 non-scheduled flights operated from the city airport - a record high, according to the data provided by the SVPI airport operator.
These include VVIP aircraft, primarily driven by the political blitzkrieg ahead of the assembly poll.

"The peak was achieved when 58 non-scheduled operations were handled in a single day," the airport operator added.
The demand, according to sources, was driven by the movement of political bigwigs, including PM Narendra Modi, chief ministers of several states, Union ministers and other senior party leaders. This, in addition to corporate activities along with wedding and festival seasons, also propelled the movement of charter flights.
The airport operator said that the average daily footfall at the city airport surpassed 32,000 passengers in November.
"Till September, the average charter aircraft movement stood at about 15 a day, which went up 160% to 39 a day. Besides corporate travel, electoral campaigns boosted the movement of charter flights," a top source told TOI.
According to the airport operator, non-scheduled operations have grown steadily at SVPI airport after a dedicated general aviation terminal became operational early this year.
"The facility promises faster turnaround of business jets and charter aircraft, saving passengers the trouble of competing for taxing slots with commercial flights in the general passenger terminals. This development has paved the way for the growth of the general aviation sector in the country," the airport operator said.