NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday concluded the election campaign for Gujarat elections in style — by flying on a seaplane and in the process, becoming the first Prime Minister to do so.
However, Modi’s unique campaigning drew criticism from several quarters, since the security rule book states that VVIPs can only fly in twin or multi-engine aircraft due to security reasons. The PM was also accused of violating other aviation safety norms such as not wearing the seat belt and standing on the edge of the plane while it landed on the Sabarmati riverfront.
Modi flew from Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam in Mehasana district in a Kodiak-1000 seaplane, which is a single-engine aircraft. Single-engine seaplanes were earlier operated in Andaman, Kerala and Maharashtra, but faded away due to high maintenance cost. The Kodiak turbo prop aircraft with a fixed tricycle landing gear, which can fly only up to 10,000 feet, doesn’t have a pressurized cabin, and hence, is not the kind of aircraft used for VVIP travel.