Mumbai:
With no air tickets available for Chandigarh, demand for chartered aircraft has gone sky-high.
There are as many as 21 charter companies operating hundreds of aircraft from Mumbai. And most of them have been approached by cricket fans who don't mind spending a fortune to witness the India-Pakistan clash today.
City-based Airnetz Aviation, which operates more than a hundred chartered flights, has booked three aircraft for cricket fans.
"We have booked one nine-seater Challenger-series and two six-seater Citation Bravo for Chandigarh. Actually, there was demand for six aircraft, but we are operating only three as there is parking crunch at the Chandigarh airport," said Ameya Gore, spokesperson Airnetz.
"The charges for the 9-seater charter are up to Rs 15 lakh to and from Chandigarh where as the six-seater aircraft will cost about Rs 8 lakh," Gore added.
Even business families from Gujarat have booked chartered flights for Chandigarh. "We have booked a six-seater aircraft for a Gujarat-based business family, the flight will first go to Daman and then fly to Chandigarh," added a booking official from a leading chartered flight company.
According to an Air Traffic Control (ATC) official at the Chandigarh airport, around 70 chartered flights will be operating on the day of India-Pakistan match.
At least, 15 of them will be flying from Mumbai itself. "We have given permission to about 70 charters to touch down at the Chandigarh airport.
But, at the same time, we have asked the operators to park their aircraft either at Amritsar or Delhi due to space crunch at the airport as a major part of it will be cordoned off due to the movement of chartered flights of Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers at the facility," added the ATC official.
An ATC official from Mumbai confirmed the movement of chartered flights, but denied to reveal the exact number of aircraft operating from the city.
MiD Day reported (After stadium, flight houseful, on March 28) how it was near impossible to get air tickets for Chandigarh as all three flights bound to the capital of Punjab were booked in advance.
Rs 15 Lakh - Charges for a 9-seater aircraft (to and from Chandigarh)
Rs 8 Lakh - Charges for a 6-seater aircraft (to and from Chandigarh)