Helicopter farewell: a fashionable and expensive addition to Indian wedding ceremonies

A villager named Satbir had initially hoped to bid farewell to his daughter-in-law in a helicopter, but due to unexpected circumstances, this could not happen, which left him upset. However, during his daughter-in-law’s second farewell, Satbir seized the opportunity to fulfill her wish by opting for a helicopter ride to reach his son’s in-laws’ house in Nangthala village in Hisar.

It is now easily possible to make your wedding memorable with a helicopter farewell for your bride. Booking a helicopter is as simple as booking a car for your special day. The cost, duration and permissions required of helicopter booking depend on your budget and preferences.

Praveen Jain, owner of Badri Helicopters, says that for non-wedding ceremonies, helicopters are usually rented on an hourly basis. With the increasing popularity of helicopters at weddings, aviation companies now offer fixed packages for bridal showers. These packages range from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending on factors such as distance to the destination and seating capacity of the helicopter.

At present, Praveen Jain’s company offers 5 seater helicopter in Delhi-NCR and Haryana for Rs 4,50,000. The rental cost in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and its neighboring areas increases to around Rs 6,00,000. It costs around Rs 5 lakh to take a bride from Amritsar and Jalandhar in Punjab to Delhi-NCR. Also, the fare from Banaras to Delhi-NCR is around Rs 9,00,000.

According to Praveen Jain, the package includes two hours of helicopter availability. Generally, people prefer the helicopter to arrive just before the farewell, so that they can take their daughter-in-law and bid farewell. If circumstances require the helicopter to stay for a longer period of time, additional payment at the helicopter’s hourly rate is required. The specific additional fare varies between operators.

If your budget allows, you can book a helicopter both online or offline. Many major travel websites offer online helicopter booking services. For offline booking, you can go to G-5 building located in front of Terminal One at Delhi Airport. This building houses the offices of major aviation companies that provide helicopter rentals.

Captain Yogesh Gupta explains that it is necessary to take two types of permissions for landing and takeoff of the helicopter. The first permission comes from the Air Force, and the second must be obtained from the airport authority or local administration. However, helicopter operators generally handle all necessary permissions, reducing any concerns for the individuals involved. Additionally, the responsibility of identifying the landing site, preparing it to accommodate the helicopter, painting the ‘H’ and creating a specific type of smoke just before landing is managed by the helicopter operator’s representative.