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Deccan Charters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Deccan Airways.

Deccan Charters
IATA ICAO Call sign
DN DKN DECCAN
Founded1997
Hubs
Fleet size5[2]
Parent companyDeccan Charters Pvt Ltd
HeadquartersBengaluru, India
Key peopleCaptain G. R. Gopinath (Managing Director)[3]
Websitedeccanair.com

Deccan Charters is an aviation company based in Bengaluru, India that operates helicopter and fixed-wing charter services. Its main base is at Jakkur Airfield.[4] Deccan Technical Services, the maintenance unit of Deccan Charters, maintains helicopters on behalf of 50 Indian corporates such as Reliance Industries and Essar Group.[5] Their Mumbai centre is the authorised customer service centre to support Sikorsky S-76 helicopters.[6]

A Deccan Charters helicopter at EXCON 2025 (BIEC)

History

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Deccan Shuttles Cessna 208 in August 2012 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The company started operations on 3 December 1997.[4] as Deccan Aviation. It established Simplifly Deccan (formerly named Air Deccan), a low-cost airline in March 2003. In July 2004, Deccan Aviation partnered with the Favourite Group of Sri Lanka to launch a helicopter charter company called Deccan Aviation Lanka. In early 2007, the company started fixed-wing charter operations. Deccan Charters exited from the company in November 2011, after selling their 48% stake to Singapore-based Millennium Aero which renamed the company as Millennium Airlines. [7] In February 2012, Deccan Charters partnered with Taj Air, Bjets and other partners under the Powerfly brand to provide an air charter membership program through which customers can access Jets, Turbo Props and Helicopters.[8] Deccan Charters Ltd. initiated non-scheduled chartered services in Gujarat under the brand name of Deccan Shuttles in August 2012. This service connected Ahmedabad, Surat, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Kandla.[9] In April 2013, Deccan announced its decision to suspend all Gujarat operations citing poor patronage.[10] In August 2014, Deccan Charters partnered with Luan Airways for providing medical evacuation services in North-East India.[11]

Air Deccan

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Main article: Air Deccan

In March 2017, the firm was awarded 21 regional air routes under the Indian Government's regional connectivity scheme, UDAN.[12] Deccan Charters decided to use the popular Air Deccan brand to launch these services[13] that will connect emerging towns across Indian states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura at affordable prices with 19-seater Beechcraft 1900D turboprop aircraft.[14]

Air Deccan received the scheduled commuter operator (SCO) permit from regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 22 December 2017 and the first flight, DN 1320, took off for Jalgaon Airport, from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) the following afternoon. In the first phase of operations, Air Deccan planned to connect to Jalgaon, Nashik and Kolhapur Airport from Mumbai and Pune Airport.[15] However, it could not operate a large number of the RCS routes awarded to it due to the company's weak financials. Scheduled commercial operations were stopped in April 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.[16]

Fleet

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As of 2026, the Deccan Charters fleet includes a variety of owned and managed fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for private charter and specialized aerial services. The company also maintains a significant footprint in aircraft maintenance, managing over 50 aircraft for Indian corporate clients.[17][18]

Deccan Charters Fleet
Aircraft In service Notes
Fixed-wing fleet
Cessna Citation CJ2 1 Operated for light jet charters.[17]
Hawker 900XP 1 Mid-size business jet based in Chennai.[17]
Pilatus PC-12 2 Used for regional and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) services.[19]
Beechcraft King Air 1 King Air B200 model.[18]
Helicopter fleet
Airbus AS350 B3 1 Single-engine; used for high-altitude tourism and surveys.[17]
Airbus AS355F 1 Twin-engine helicopter based at Jakkur Airfield.[17]
Bell 429 GlobalRanger 1 Multi-role twin-engine helicopter.[17]
Bell 206L-4 LongRanger 1 Based in Pune for sightseeing and aerial photography.[17]
HAL Dhruv — In January 2026, Deccan Charters signed a pact with HAL to promote and maintain the Dhruv NG for civil operations.[20]
Total 8

Destinations

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As of 2026, Deccan Charters operates as a non-scheduled aviation service provider. It does not fly fixed commercial routes; instead, it provides on-demand charters, heli-tourism, and offshore services from several key operational bases across India.[21][22]

Operational Bases

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The company maintains engineering and operational facilities at the following locations:

Seasonal & Charter Services

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The company continues to provide specialized shuttle and tourism services in the following regions:

References

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  1. ^ "About Deccan Aviation". Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  2. ^ List of NSOP
  3. ^ "Deccan Aviation official website "Management"". Deccanair.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 3 April 2007. p. 72.
  5. ^ "GR Gopinath's Deccan Charters faces severe crisis; puts entire fleet of aircraft on sale". The Economic Times. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Captain Gopinath back in the game; Deccan Charter to fly on regional routes". The Hindu Business Line. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Singapore firm makes strategic investment in SL's Deccan Aviation". Sunday Times. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Deccan Charters enters into alliance with Taj Air and BJETS". The Hindu Business Line. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Deccan Shuttles to commence air connectivity in Gujarat". The Economic Times. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Deccan Charters to stop flight services within Gujarat from May 1". The Indian Express. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Captain Gopinath back in the game; Deccan Charter to fly on regional routes". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Captain Gopinath back in the game; Deccan Charter to fly on regional routes". Business Standard. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  13. ^ "About us". AirDeccan website. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Aviation pioneer GR Gopinath makes comeback with Air Deccan, to start disruptive Re 1 tickets". Business Today (India). 15 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  15. ^ "After KFA collapse, Air Deccan takes off maiden flight to Jalgaon". The Pioneer. 24 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Air Deccan ceases its operations, all employees put on sabbatical". Times of India. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Staff. "Deccan Charters Fleet Profile". Business Air News. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  18. ^ a b "About Us - History". Deccan Charters. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  19. ^ "Deccan Charters Profile". Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  20. ^ Staff (30 January 2026). "HAL, Deccan Charters sign cooperation pact to promote Dhruv NG helicopter". India Strategic. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Operational Bases and Locations". Deccan Charters. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  22. ^ "Air Deccan status 2026". Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  23. ^ "SC asks Uttarakhand HC to decide plea of aviation firm against taking over of helipad". Hindustan Times. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
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