AHMEDABAD: Fresh disclosures in the Gujarat Assembly have triggered sharp questions over aviation spending after data revealed that the State had spent Rs 86.33 crore in just two years on maintaining its planes, helicopters, pilots and staff.
Notably, technical faults grounded aircraft, and earlier aviation projects like the seaplane service remain stalled.
The disclosure in the Assembly has cast a spotlight on the rising cost of government aviation, efficiency and utilisation.
The figures surfaced after Imran Khedawala, Congress MLA from the Jamalpur Khadia constituency in Ahmedabad, raised a question seeking a detailed breakdown of government spending on planes and helicopters.
The reply from the Government of Gujarat reveals that the largest chunk of expenditure went into maintenance of aircraft and helicopters, exposing the high operational cost of maintaining the state’s aviation fleet.
According to the official data, Rs 56.66 crore was spent entirely on the maintenance of planes and helicopters over the past two years.
The expenses do not stop there. Added to this were Rs 28.08 crore spent on pilots and Rs 1.58 crore spent on other aviation staff, pushing the total aviation expenditure to Rs 86,33,55,531.
The year-wise breakdown further highlights how the costs continued to rise.
Between February 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025, the government spent Rs 27.71 crore on maintenance, while Rs 12.89 crore was paid to pilots and Rs 61.44 lakh was spent on other aviation staff.
The following year saw higher expenses.
Between February 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026, the maintenance bill climbed to Rs 28.95 crore, pilot expenses jumped to Rs 15.18 crore, and Rs 97.53 lakh was spent on other aviation personnel.
The disclosure turned more striking as the government admitted in the Assembly that, despite massive spending, aircraft operations were affected by technical faults.
In the last two years alone, government planes or helicopters could not fly on two occasions due to technical problems, highlighting operational vulnerabilities even after heavy maintenance expenditure.
The aviation spending debate turns sharper when viewed against the backdrop of a stalled project once projected as a symbol of modern connectivity.
Earlier, in March 2025, the government had acknowledged in the Assembly that India’s first seaplane service, launched between Ahmedabad and the Statue of Unity near Kevadia, effectively closed in April 2021.
Despite spending Rs 19.50 crore on the project by December 31, 2024, the service remains suspended and stuck in uncertainty, raising broader questions about the state’s aviation investments and long-term planning.
Together, these figures now paint a complex picture: crores being spent to keep government aircraft operational while flagship aviation projects remain grounded, turning what was meant to be a symbol of connectivity into a growing fiscal debate inside Gujarat’s political corridors.
