Air charter demand has remained steady in April due to ongoing elections, but companies expect demand to drop 10-15 per cent from May onwards following an increase in jet fuel prices.

Campaigning for elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal is supporting the charter companies, which have seen demand cool off from the leisure segment. Traffic to Dubai, the busiest international destination for Indian charter firms, has been hit too.

According to Club One Air CEO Rajan Mehra, around 70-80 per cent of their flights in April are election charters. While the company has not seen a drop in business, the real impact would be seen from next month onwards.

“Corporates are expected to absorb the increased rates but pilgrimage and leisure travel could suffer. On an industry-wide basis, this could result in a 10-15 per cent impact on business,” Mehra said.

“Demand has become more selective. Core users — corporates, high-net-worth individuals, and political movements — continue to rely on charter aviation, but discretionary and first-time demand have cooled off,” said Kanika Tekriwal, founder and CEO of JetSetGo.

This is because the cost of operations has increased for charter firms. Fuel cost for a mid-sized jet has risen by ₹75,000-1,25,000 per hour following the rate hike.

Tekriwal said election flying will support aircraft utilisation in the near term but it will not fully offset the broader pressure from rising costs and softer discretionary demand.

On April 1, state oil marketing companies revised aviation turbine fuel prices. While the price hike for scheduled domestic flights was limited to 25 per cent, rates for non-scheduled flights were doubled. This impacts not only charter companies but also air ambulance service providers and helicopter operators providing services offshore and on pilgrimage routes.

“Prior to March we used to handle 35-40 patients a month within India and that figure remains constant even now. We set up a base in Abu Dhabi in February and from there, on a daily basis, we are transferring one patient to the US or Europe,” said Dr Rahul Singh Sardar, co-founder and Director of ICATT air ambulance service.

Published on April 21, 2026