AP govt plans jet on lease for VVIPs

Possessing an aircraft will facilitate the VVIPs to reach far-off places in a very short time and the journey can be undertaken even in bad weather, top official sources said here today.

The need for having an aircraft is felt as the schedule of regular flight timings is found to be not matching with the tour schedule of VVIPs, they said.

According to sources, the aircraft can carry at least six-eight persons and travel up to four hours continuously without having to refuel during the journey.

States like Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have already procured the aircraft in view of the advantages, the sources pointed out.

Since the DGCA has made it mandatory to maintain a requisite staff including an operational set of two pilots, it will have financial implications for the government which has to foot their salaries if it goes for an aircraft, they said, adding it is thus economically viable to go for a wet lease basis.

Under wet lease, one airline (lessor) provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance to another airline (or other type of business acting as a broker of air travel).

Meanwhile, an official release said Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has accorded a administrative sanction of an additional amount of Rs 80 crore towards land acquisition for development of the airport at Rajahmundry in East Godavari district.