“How are we flying the baraatis? Business class? No, no… only private jet.”
A conversation at a pre-wedding ceremony reveals how private jets are the new benchmark for Indian weddings.
In India’s ever-expanding wedding economy, estimated at over $75 billion, luxury has long been the norm. Private wedding charters are now becoming the newest status symbol for ultra-elite families planning destination weddings in India.
The recent Mantena and Vamsi Gadiraju wedding in Udaipur, with an estimated 600 guests from over 40 countries, saw many flown in on specially arranged private charters. The Ambani family in 2024 also chartered a fleet of over 100 private planes for their son Anant Ambani’s wedding.
What does market data say?
The Indian Air Charter Services Market report from Market Research Future projects the air charter-services market is projected to grow from $3348 million in 2025 to $5891 million by 2035, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.81% during the forecast period 2025-2035.
Luxury operators feel weddings have emerged as one of the fastest-growing contributors, driven by both HNIs and aspirational consumers willing to splurge for a once-in-a-lifetime event.
As per Kotak Private Luxury Index released in December, India’s luxury market heads toward an estimated $85 billion by 2030.
Private jet operator owner Santosh Sharma, founder and chief executive officer of Foresee Aviation and BookMyJet, confirmed that the company has already completed eight wedding charters this year and expects 10-12 movements, with four already confirmed in the coming months.
“The demand in 2025 was almost 25% higher than the previous year. Indian weddings have now gone from band baaja baraat to Boeing, Bombardier, and Bell helicopters,” said Sharma.
High demand areas
The big demand pockets come from Udaipur, Agra, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Goa and Lakshadweep for services such as helicopter entries to in-air proposals, with the spending spectrum expanding, said Sharma.
Helicopter entries cost between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh per hour. Private jets range from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh per hour.
Engagement or proposal flights, complete with décor and catering, cost Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for a short 1-2 hour experience.
“For many affluent families, it’s no longer about flying just the bride and groom. Entire guest lists, sometimes 50 to 150 people, are being ferried across cities on multiple charters,” said Sharma.
Luxury charter plane operators like Rajan Mehra, CEO, Club One Air, who had deployed 10-15 jets for the Mantena wedding in Udaipur, said most people prefer large seater planes but there is a niche demand for 10-15 seaters also.
“For a wedding, over 98% people prefer larger planes with 40-50 capacity to fly in one go but there are only a handful of families who opt for 14-15 seaters. This chunk of business, however, is promising. With such high-profile weddings happening at least once every year, we are hopeful of great wedding business in the future,” Mehra told FE.
The 2025 wedding report by wedding planning app WedMeGood suggests over 60% of weddings are estimated for over Rs 1 crore and are destination weddings. “Weddings are becoming more experiential and the experience of a private chartered flight signals the ultimate status symbol while offering privacy, as well as flexibility of departure times,” said Mehak Shahani, co-founder of WedMeGood.
Travel portal EaseMyTrip offers wedding-specific and experiential in-flight services, but only on a customised, on-request basis, including concepts like ‘mehendi on air’ and other curated celebratory experiences for smaller groups. The brand has seen 10-15% rise this year in such bookings while an overall destination wedding market has grown around 20-25%.
“This rise is an encouraging move towards private aircraft for group travel. Families look for travel options that reflect exclusivity and comfort during destination celebrations. Dedicated terminals and personalised onboard services add to the appeal, creating an experience that feels intimate and well managed. These features are turning private charters into a mark of distinction, with many couples choosing them to create a sense of occasion,” said Rikant Pittie, CEO & co-founder of EaseMyTrip.
Founder and CEO Kanika Tekriwal of private charter company JetSetGo said wedding-related charters remain a very small portion of the private aviation market. However, last year, JetSetGo flew over 35 flying hours of wedding-related movements, largely due to the single high-profile wedding in the Ambani family circle.
“This year, the demand is steady and the number is nearly half at around 15 hours, which is not a slowdown, but a return to typical levels. So year-on-year growth does not reflect an industry trend for us, it depends on the scale of individual events in a particular season,” said Tekriwal, who receives 200-300 queries a year for weddings.
A Ministry of Civil Aviation 2024 report states 119 non-scheduled operators holding air operator permit (AOP) were endorsed with 427 aircraft for undertaking non-scheduled air transport services (air charter or private jets).