Private Charters On A Rise As Wealthy Travellers Look For Safe Mode Of Travel Costing Approx ₹2.5 Lakhs An Hour

by Suchismita Pal
Private Charters On A Rise As Wealthy Travellers Look For Safe Mode Of Travel Costing Approx ₹2.5 Lakhs An Hour

Amid the ‘new normal’ of coronavirus pandemic, private planes are on high demand among the wealthy travellers. Rates of these planes might cost as high as ₹2.5 lakhs for an hour. These private charters help fliers travel by adhering to the heightened protocols of social distancing. From leisure trips, family reunions and corporate tours to bringing the baarat of the groom safely, people are now booking private planes on various grounds. Read on to know more.

Wealthy People Are Booking Private Charters For Socially-Distanced Travel

Airlines in India like SpiceJet, IndiGo and Vistara had recently introduced private charter services to let travellers fly in a lavish and socially-distanced way. Other independent companies like BLADE India, Accretion Aviation and more have been offering specialized charter plane services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Flying in private planes negates the hassle of queueing up at the check-in counters, sitting beside a stranger inside the flight or using in-flight public lavatories. In other words, private charters ensure minimal interaction with the crowds. According to a Business Insider report, referring to private charters, Nishant Pitti, founder of EaseMyTrip has said, “Earlier, we used to get 10-12 requests in a week, now that’s the number of requests we receive in a day. In the past one month, we have booked 15-20 international charter flights.”

Private Charters
Picture Credits: IPAG

CEO & Founder, JetSetGo Aviation, Kanika Tekriwal said, “Just before the lockdown was announced, the demand surge was nine-fold but we were only able to fulfil 50-60% due to various regulations which kept  changing overnight within countries.”

Also Read: 5 Things You Need To Know About Booking Private Yacht Vacations

Private Plane Is The Safest Mode Of Transport: CEO of Accretion Aviation, Rahul Muchhal

Rahul Muchhal, the CEO of Accretion Aviation has told Curly Tales that a private plane is the safest way to travel amid the coronavirus pandemic. He further informed that passengers prefer to travel by private planes as they find it a safer mode of travel in comparison to a commercial flight where they come in contact with over 300 people right from check-in to the time when they reach their destination.

Private ChartersThe Charters Are Following The Guidelines Of Safety And Hygiene

The private planes are also following the safety standards underlined by top health authorities. All pilots, passengers, and employees of these planes are undergoing thermal screenings and it is mandatory for each of them wear masks and face shields. The pilots and employees are also wearing sanitary gloves. The special terminal for private charters at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is ready too, as per reports. It is awaiting security approvals for commencing services.

Private Charters
Picture Credits: Floog

Also Read: Fly To 8 Destinations In Karnataka From Bangalore In A Private Helicopter Starting From ₹1.45 Lakhs

Have you travelled in one of these private charters amid the lockdown? If yes, share your experience in the comments section below. Meanwhile,  here’s why Vistara CCO thinks that air travel is the safest way to travel now: