Haryana will soon purchase 9-seater helicopter for VVIPs
Chandigarh: The Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janata Party (BJP-JJP) government in Haryana is buying a twin-engine nine-seater helicopter to provide chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and governor Bandaru Dattatreya with air transport services, officials said Wednesday
Chandigarh: The Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janata Party (BJP-JJP) government in Haryana is buying a twin-engine nine-seater helicopter to provide chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and governor Bandaru Dattatreya with air transport services, officials said Wednesday. The Haryana government already has a 10-seater Beechcraft King Air 250 twin-turboprop aircraft purchased in 2018 for VVIPs.
Officials added that the high-powered purchase committee (HPPC) of the state government, after conducting negotiations with Airbus Helicopters, Germany, finalised the purchase of the chopper, Airbus H145-D3. The helicopter will cost the public exchequer about ₹77 crore ($97,55,689).
Officials said that the negotiations resulted in a benefit of $3,00,000, amounting to about 3% of the offered base price. This includes fitting the helicopter with improved sound-proofing, strobe lights and a night vision goggle compatible cockpit free of cost, an official said.
‘Existing helicopter too old, VVIP safety important’
Justifying the acquisition of the latest flying machine, officials said the state government had last purchased a helicopter (Eurocopter EC-145) for VVIPs was in 2008-09. The ageing Eurocopter is frequently grounded and costs a lot to maintain, they added. The process to procure a new twin engine helicopte rto replace the existing machine began when global bid was floated in December 2021.The pre-bid meeting was attended by the three original equipment manufacturers -- Airbus Helicopters, Germany, Leonardo SpA, Italy, and Bell Textron Aviation, US. A single bid was received on the due date of tender submission on March 22 from Airbus Helicopters. “In view of the ageing and frequent grounding of the existing helicopter and keeping in mind the safety of VVIPs, the offer given by Airbus Helicopters was taken up for evaluation by the Civil Aviation department. A state delegation will also visit the manufacturing facility after the formal purchase order is placed.
Officials said that Airbus Helicopters has agreed to deliver the helicopter in 15 months from the date of signing the purchase agreement.
The Beechcraft King Air 250 was purchased by the BJP government in 2018 for ₹62,50,000 (around ₹40 crore then). The Eurocopter EC-145 was purchased by the Congress government at a cost of €5.5 million (about ₹33 crore then) in 2009.