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UP polls: Private airlines back in business after EC’s decision to allow rallies
Political parties have started approaching companies after the election commission (EC) permitted rallies with social distancing.
Election commission’s decision to allow rallies has offered some respite to private airlines whose businesses were hit due to earlier ban on offline campaign.
“Political parties have started approaching companies after the election commission (EC) permitted rallies with social distancing. A leading political party has hired two small aircrafts for its star campaigners for the last round of elections,” said Mohammed Shoeb, former president of UP chapter of Travel Agents Association of India.
“Private airlines made 11500 sorties during the last Lok Sabha polls of 2019. But till now just a handful of poll sorties have taken place,” said an official of the Airport Authority of India, Lucknow.
“The pandemic and restrictions on travel hit this sector hard. Many small charter plane companies have not got any business this time despite offering good deals to their political clients,” Shoeb said.
“The losses have been huge as 60% business was lost due to online campaigning by the political parties,” he added.
President of Travel Agent Association of India (UP and Uttarakhand) and MD of Sheeraz Tours SMA Sheeraz said, “With Covid on decline, we expect some business now. Political clients have begun approaching us but as of now we cannot disclose their names.”
“For small aircraft operators elections are a time for business as political parties prefer hiring chartered planes and helicopters to help their star campaigners save time while campaigning from one place to another,” he added.
