New Delhi: The Haryana government has added a new Airbus H145-D3 helicopter to its fleet, replacing a 15-year-old Eurocopter EC-145 chopper. This marks a significant upgrade to the state’s air transportation capabilities for VVIPs, a move that has sparked a political debate.
The new helicopter, procured from Airbus Helicopters in Germany, replaces the older model purchased in 2008-09 under the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The procurement process began in December 2021 under the BJP government of Manohar Lal Khattar, with a global tender attracting bids from Airbus Helicopters (Germany), Leonardo SpA (Italy), and Bell Textron Aviation (USA).
Ultimately, only Airbus Helicopters submitted a bid, which was subsequently approved by the state’s High-Powered Purchase Committee (HPCC) in 2022.
Meanwhile, Saini said the current helicopter was ‘quite old’. “The state government had been considering acquiring a new helicopter. Today, the new helicopter has arrived. I congratulate the Haryana Government officials for fulfilling this long-standing requirement,” Saini said after performing religious rituals for the helicopter here.
टीम हरियाणा के अपने परिवारजनों के संग नए हेलीकॉप्टर की पूजा अर्चना की।
प्रदेश की नॉन-स्टॉप सरकार नए हेलिकाप्टर से देगी हरियाणा के विकास को रफ्तार। pic.twitter.com/bUgr9AV6hP
— Nayab Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) November 25, 2024
The purchase price of the new helicopter is reportedly Rs 80 crore, though the final cost will be adjusted after the sale of the older aircraft. This figure has become a focal point of criticism from the Congress party, who have accused the government of incurring a debt exceeding Rs 4 lakh crore, citing the helicopter purchase as a key example of wasteful spending.
Haryana minister Vipul Goel refuted these accusations, asserting that the Civil Aviation Department had recommended replacing the ageing helicopter over a year ago. He emphasised the necessity of the upgrade, highlighting the old helicopter’s age and the department’s long-standing recommendation for a replacement.
“The (Civil Aviation) Department had over a year ago recommended that it (old chopper) should be changed. We had given the order for a new one and now we have got the delivery of this helicopter,” Goel said.
The new helicopter’s arrival was marked with traditional religious ceremonies performed by Haryana Minister Anil Vij. This acquisition adds to the state’s existing air assets, which include a 10-seater Beechcraft King Air 250 twin-turboprop aircraft purchased in 2018. The state’s history with aircraft includes a notable incident in 2014 when a Beechcraft King Air 200 crashed at Chandigarh airport, miraculously resulting in the survival of then-Governor Jagannath Pahadia, his wife, and other officials on board.
