New Delhi: Amid spiraling cases of Covid-19 in India and lockdown restrictions in several states, demand for charter flight services has gone up considerably. According to Club One Air, elite customers are booking charter flights to countries like Dubai and Maldives, among others.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Rajan Mehra, CEO, Club One Air, said, "We are witnessing bookings for countries like Dubai, Male, and London. The fare usually ranges between Rs 35 to 40 lakhs."
When asked about the reason behind the surge in bookings, Mehra said, "Most of the high net-worth individuals have Dubai resident visas. They also have business infrastructure there. Male is in demand because of its beaches and resorts."
Mehra said the average fare for Dubai and Male is around Rs 35 to 40 lakh, including ground handling charges.
“We are noticing the movement of around 12 to 15 charter flights from the IGI airport for the last 10-15 days,” a source at Delhi Airport told ETV Bharat.
The fear of contracting Covid-19 in commercial flights is also driving the business for charter flights.
“Several high net worth individuals who can afford private jets are preferring the safety and hygiene of private jets. Those who used to travel in the first-class or business class are now shifting to charter ones because they are safer," said Mehra.
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A source in the business of charter flights, who didn’t want to be named, said, “The fare for non-metro-to-metro cities has gone up. Earlier, the fare for Bihar-Delhi route was Rs 4 to 5 lakh but now after the surge in infections, it has gone above Rs 8 lakh.”
On being asked about the future of the charter flight business in India after the pandemic subsides, Mehra, who was previously the head of Indian operations at Qatar Airways, opined the bookings will rise exponentially. When the situation becomes normal, we will find more and more people going for charter flights given its safety and hygiene.
He added, “After the first lockdown, our business increased by 25 percent. So, we expect the business to go smooth once things get better.”
Meanwhile, the United States government has told its citizens to leave India as soon as possible amid the Covid-19 situation worsening in the country. Aviation experts believe that as soon as more countries put a travel ban on India, the demand for charter flights will grow more.
Under Mission Vande Bharat, India had managed to establish an Air Bubble pact with 27 countries but after an increase in the caseload of Covid-19 patients, more than 15 countries have imposed a travel ban on India.
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