FIFA World Cup: Football fever has gripped the state of Kerala

The residents of Kerala have placed massive cutouts of Lionel Messi (30 feet), Neymar Jr. (40 feet), and Cristiano Ronaldo (45 feet) beside a quaint river that flows across the north Kerala region. 

The band of Argentinian soccer club fans in Pullavoor village who hoisted a 30-foot-tall cutout of Messi drew attention to Kerala, a state famous for its love for football. 

The act has traction from distant parts of the world, further increasing the excitement observed in the southern state ahead of the World cup scheduled to begin in late November. 

FIFA tweeted a picture of the cutouts stating, "fever has hit Kerala."

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan replied with a dash of courtesy for "acknowledging our unmatched passion for the sport." 

"These cutouts have been widely shared by the official fan pages of Argentina and Brazil," stated a local named E T Nibinraj. Messi's cutout was posted on November 1 by an unverified Facebook profile called Argentina National Football Team. 

However, these cutouts have also roped in a moderate amount of controversy. A lawyer cum activist appealed to have the constructions removed due to the possible damage it could cause to the river's natural flow.

However, a Kunnamangalam MLA PTA Rahim dismissed the claim stating that he paid a site visit and that the cutouts placed in the region adjacent to the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut's check dam will not affect the river in any way. 

Regardless, a tragic incident occurred in Kannur on November 5 when a hardcore fan of Brazil, aged 48, fell from a tree and died in an attempt to tie a poster on top. 

In addition, Kerala's locals and leaders are a part of an intense rivalry between Brazil and Argentina. Among leaders, State Education Minister and V Sivankutty have publicly declared their love for Brazil. 

Unprecedented demand for private jets by HNI from India 

The football craze has prompted charter sourcing companies to capitalise on demands set by India's high net-worth individuals (HNIs), who take business charter planes to attend matches.

Reports suggest that India's HNIs are planning an unprecedented presence at the FiFA tournament in Qatar. The charter planes are filling up fast despite the surge in rates.  

An official shared that one of them booked the fastest 30-seater charter plane for the same purpose. Insta Charter (the Delhi-based air charter sourcing company that connects operators and brokers in the business air charter industry) revealed that these HNIs were open to booking a private charter.

These fast air charters would allow passengers to head back home on the same day of the match due to the unavailability of hotels in Qatar. Private charters usually charge for a one-way trip that would take five hours to reach Qatar (Doha) from Delhi. 

Now, the operators have converted it into two-way pricing, including additional charges for plane holding, airport fees, and crew services. A round trip in a 30-seater plane would amount to INR five-six million, excluding taxes, but the prices have now increased 40 - 50 percent. 

Meanwhile, Tata Group-owned Air India is launching 20 new weekly flights to Qatar (Doha) from primary Indian cities - Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

The first Fifa World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East will commence on November 20 and conclude on December 18.