Gujarat: Did Modi's seaplane fly from Karachi to escort him to Dharoi?

Only the ferrying between Ahmedabad and Dharoyi and back would have cost 40 lakh

 Prime minister's aerial ride to bypass the lack of police permission for a road show in Gujarat is now generating a controversy. Questions are being raised on social media about possible violations of safety and security norms in this 20-minute VVIP flight.

Quint reported that the seaplane was "near Karachi" on December 3 before it flew into Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji airport at 7:45 pm that evening. The report also said that the cost of flying the plane may have amounted to approximately $70,000 (Rs 45 lakh).

How Modi breached security

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated security guidelines by flying in a single engine seaplane.

In a statement on his Twitter page, he said: "How is it that the security guidelines were relaxed for this flight? No Z+ protectee is allowed to fly in a single engine aircraft, much less the PM of our country".

But the story does not end here.

The Kodiak 100 aircraft belongs to Utah-based Quest Aircraft Company, which is operated by a Japanese plane-maker. Currently, the aircraft is owned by the Bank of Utah with registration in the US (as indicated by the registration number - N181KQ).

Surprisingly, the Prime Minister’s security establishment allowed Modi to board a single-engine aircraft. IAF sources said that most helicopters used by the Prime Minister are twin-engine, besides being armoured plated, and they could have been used instead of the Kodiak 100.

The DGCA issued an air safety circular in 1981 on the use of private and state government aircraft for carriage of chief ministers and other high dignitaries. The circular says that a twin-engined aircraft with good operational capability, reliability and easy maintainability characteristics “should be used” (for VVIP flights).  Similarly, a circular issued in 2014 lays down operational, air safety and airworthiness requirements for such VVIP operations. However, an aviation source said that these circulars are in nature of advisories though in 2014 DGCA said it will take action against pilots, engineers and operators for non-compliance. Moreover, there are no specific regulations with respect to amphibian planes and the DGCA may have waived certain existing requirements for Tuesday's flight.

A few years ago, the DGCA had introduced draft regulations on the use of private or state government aircraft for carriage of VVIPs. The draft said twin-engine planes or helicopters “shall be used” for such flights. These regulations would have been binding on all operators but the DGCA did not finalise the regulations. ( Read more details here)

Seaplane arrived in India exclusively for Modi's rally

The aircraft landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad at 12:04 pm on 11 December. The next day Modi flew on it.

Sources told Quint that before Karachi, it was in or near Muscat on 25 October, at Darwin which is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airbase on 22 October, in Bali the same day, Norfolk Island on 20 October and at Ardmore and Auckland in New Zealand also on 20 October.

Congress calls it a 'distraction'

The Congress took a dig at Modi's style of pulling the curtain down on his poll campaign with the seaplane journey, terming it a "distraction" from real issues and a "hawa hawai" (gas).

But the critcism didn't wobble Modi's flight that came as his roadshow in Ahmedabad scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled.

Fact check - Modi first passenger of India's first ever seaplane?

Not for the first time, the BJP went a little overboard in highlighting Modi's last rally for Gujarat polls. BJP's twitter handle posted "Modi becomes first passenger of India’s first ever seaplane!"

The first ever commercial seaplane service was launched in India in 2010. Jal Hans, a service which was jointly operated by Pawan Hans, the public sector helicopter service provider and the administration of the Andaman & Nicobar islands was inaugurated in December 2010.

Tuesday was the last day for campaigning for the elections and all the political campaigning halted at 5 p.m. But door-to-door campaigning was allowed with the party symbol on caps and T-shirts.

The second and final phase of polls on Thursday will see around two crore voters decide the fate of 1,828 candidates fighting for 93 assembly seats.