A few months ago, reports came out that India’s leading industrialist Mukesh Ambani had purchased an H160 helicopter from Airbus, spending nearly ₹150 crore. The helicopter bought by Mukesh Ambani has the capacity to accommodate twelve passengers. The basic price of the Airbus H160 helicopter itself is estimated to be around ₹120 crore. Now, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken the same model helicopter on rent for the use of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Replacing the earlier Bell helicopter that was being used, the government has rented the state-of-the-art Airbus H160 equipped with advanced facilities.
As reports circulated that the Andhra Pradesh government had purchased a new helicopter for the Chief Minister’s use, the government issued a clarification. It stated that since the old helicopter was facing technical problems, the new helicopter was taken on lease only for this reason, and not purchased as being falsely publicized by the YSRCP. The government also warned that strict action would be taken against those spreading false propaganda. It further explained that the newly leased Airbus H160 helicopter would save up to 70 percent of the Chief Minister’s travel expenses. It was also revealed that with this helicopter, one can directly travel from Amaravati to Srikakulam and Chittoor as well. The government emphasized that this helicopter is highly safe.