Keralam CM charter flight invoice in public domain

While Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan was reluctant to reveal the identity of the person who gave him a free charter flight from Thiruvananthapuram to the calamity-hit area of ​​Malappuram, it has emerged that an aviation firm seeking to renew the helicopter contract with the state government was allegedly involved in facilitating the Chief Minister’s free travel.

The plane used for the trip reportedly belongs to Kelachandra Aviation, a company owned by the family of KJ George, a Congress leader and Karnataka minister.

An invoice submitted to Chipson Airlines revealed that the total cost of the flight was ₹19,88,595. The amount includes aircraft charge of ₹ 16,85,250 and 18% GST of ₹ 3,03,345.

The aircraft was flying from Jindal Airport near Ballari in Karnataka to Thiruvananthapuram, ferrying the Chief Minister to north Kerala and back before returning to its home base.

Reports say that the plane was deployed for the Chief Minister’s tour for around nine hours.

Published – 24 Sep 2026 21:35 IST