DGCA Tightens Helicopter Safety Amid Char Dham Yatra Concerns

In a bid to ensure aviation safety, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated special audits and heightened surveillance for helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. This decisive action follows several recent incidents involving helicopter operations in the mountainous region.

The DGCA has additionally suspended activities of Kestrel Aviation Private Limited following an emergency landing of one of its helicopters on a highway in Guptkashi on June 7. The chopper, carrying five passengers from Rudraprayag to Kedarnath, narrowly avoided disaster. This suspension comes in the wake of another operator's earlier suspension for safety infractions in May 2025, as conveyed by a DGCA statement.

In precautionary measures, the DGCA is contemplating the complete cessation of helicopter services for the Char Dham Yatra, depending on safety assessments. Currently, real-time visual surveillance from the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) at Kedarnath is being actively monitored. Any deviations from standard operating procedures (SOP) by helicopter operators are instantly flagged for corrective action. Notably, two recent violations involved improper helicopter parking by operators at Kedarnath.

An ongoing safety investigation aims to pinpoint the causes of these incidents, considering mechanical, operational, and weather-related factors. For enhanced safety, helicopter operators are instructed to operate under Out of Ground Effect (OGE) conditions until further instructions are issued.

(With inputs from agencies.)