Indian operator, Pawan Hans Helicopters (Delhi International), announced last week that it intends to deploy helicopters on Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) routes in a bid to connect all the districts of the country. However, these plans could be affected by reports that the Indian government will divest itself of a 51% stake in the company.
The RCS is a government plan to increase connectivity to India's most remote regions and is due to be operational in at least 60 underserved airports by March 2017. Under the scheme, carriers can apply for viability gap funding (VGF) support, to cover any losses between operational costs and revenues.
B P Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director of Pawan Hans (PHHL), had hoped to increase PHHL's fleet from 45 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft to 145 within ten years to meet demand of the RCS. UNI India reports that Pawan is keen to acquire ten Dhruv MK-III helicopters, for which it has entered an Memorandum of Understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Sharma is also considering adding seaplanes and small fixed-wing aircraft.
"We can easily start our operations without much investment on related services," Sharma said. "But it all depends how much response we will get from the passengers and authorities."
However, the Economic Times of India reports that with government plans to sell off its stake by the end of 2017, Sharma's ambitious growth plans could be thrown into doubt.
Members of the All India Civil Aviation Employees Union (AICAEU) have widely criticised the sell-off, saying that Pawan Hans "is providing the most affordable helicopter services in the country and is a lifeline for the North-eastern region".
