Corporator arranges Rs 5 lakh helicopter ride for daughter's wedding

Mizba and Ayaz aboard their aerial doli, arranged by her father Tariq Sayyed

While he pulled out all stops for her wedding, Tariq Sayyed, a corporator in Karjat, wanted to ensure that his daughter Mizba's wedding ended on cloud nine, too, with a helicopter ride to her new home. This unique bidai (bridal send-off) came at a hefty price tag of Rs 5 lakh.

A royal send-off
On February 10, Mizba and husband Ayaz Sayyed headed to the latter's hometown Patoda in Beed on the helicopter, following their wedding in Karjat, Ahmednagar. The father had arranged the joyride to give his daughter a royal send-off. Days before the wedding, he pulled together his contacts and arranged for the chopper to take the newly married couple to the groom's town.

A massive crowd greets the couple in Patoda town

Tariq booked a three-hour helicopter ride from Juhu-based aviation company Kestrel Aviation Pvt Ltd. On the day of wedding, Mizba's uncle got the six-seater chopper to Karjat town, which is nearly 300 km from the Juhu aerodrome. The helicopter landed around 3 pm. Soon after, Mizba and her brother and Ayaz and his sister boarded the chopper and flew to Patoda town within 13 minutes. Patoda town is nearly 67 km away from Karjat town.

Tariq Sayyed

Groom knew
Ayaz had an inkling of the aerial bidaai three days before his wedding, when he was asked to share his ID proof. At first, he requested his father-in-law to not arrange something this extravagant, but he failed to convince Tariq, who wanted it to be a special affair.

Ayaz said since this was his first time flying, he was scared and nervous. But once the helicopter was airborne, it turned into a joyride. "There was a huge crowd waiting for us near the helipad. It was an honour to get such special treatment," he said.

Joyride on the pocket
Tariq said he felt happy bringing a big smile on his daughter and son-in-law's face. The helicopter trip cost him approximately Rs 5 lakh. A source from Kestrel Aviation said they rent out helicopters on an hourly basis for Rs 1.05 lakh plus tax. An additional Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 is charged for landing and other expenses.

While he didn't hold back for the bidaai, Tariq ensured the wedding was grand too. A few ministers and 5,000 people attended it. Moreover, the bride was given nearly half a kilo of gold. Post the wedding, the happy couple is enjoying some time with their family in Patoda. They will later head to Ghatkopar East, where Ayaz resides with his parents, two sisters and a brother.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates