Private jet given free of charge for PM’s Tirupati visit: Yoshitha (Videos)
Following the controversial images circulating on social media and several news websites of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa disembarking from a blue Embraer Legacy 600 business jet at Tirupati International Airport, in line with his private two day visit to the temple city for a pilgrimage on December 23, The Morning learns that the Prime Minister was provided with the jet for his use at no charge by the owner.
Speaking to The Morning, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Yoshitha Rajapaksa said that the provision of the jet was a gesture of goodwill.
“One of sir’s friends gave that aircraft to him free of charge for his travel to Tirupati. He is an Indian businessman who does not want to be named. He is a friend of the Prime Minister and it was a gesture of goodwill,” he told The Morning.
According to information available online, the average hourly rental rate of a Legacy 600 is around 6,700 USD per hour.
The findings of The Morning’s investigative desk show that the Legacy 600 concerned, registered in the small European nation of San Marino (which is a known tax haven) as ‘T7-JSG’ is one of the many aircraft in the fleet of JetSetGo Aviation Services Private Limited, an Indian firm which provides private aircraft charter services to high net worth individuals. It is notable that Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh sits on the board of the company as an investor.
According to social media posts by the Colombo International Airport – Ratmalana, T7-JSG arrived at the Ratmalana airport on 16 December from the African nation of Uganda.
“We are delighted to welcome this fabulous blue bird from Uganda at CIAR today,” the post said.
The next day (17), another post suggests that the aircraft left Ratmalana.
“CIAR team was happy to serve you. Hope you all had an amazing time in Sri Lanka,” the Airport said on social media.
After 17 December, there were no available details of the aircraft’s whereabouts until its departure from Chennai International Airport on 22 December, before arriving in Ratmalana the same evening. Later on 23 December, the aircraft departed Ratmalana for Tirupati with the Prime Minister onboard. Following this, data shows that the aircraft was once again on the ground in Ratmalana on 24 December before departing to New Delhi on the same day.
The details of T7-JSG’s movements were obtained through RadarBox, a flight tracking company that displays aircraft and flight information in real-time on a map.
By Aazam Ameen