Following the October 30 helicopter crash in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district that killed all six people on board, including the pilot, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) made it mandatory for every helicopter to operate with two pilots. The new restriction is scheduled to come into effect from November 2.
However, helicopter operators engaged in Char Dham services in the state have opposed the requirement, threatening to suspend operations from the same date and demanding its withdrawal. In a collective representation to the aviation regulator, they said the move would make their operations financially unviable.In their letter dated October 31, the operators said they were unable to accept the twin-pilot requirement in its present form.
They said they would suspend Char Dham charter operations until the matter was reviewed and a mutually workable solution was reached through consultations with the authorities.With only 10 to 15 days remaining in the Char Dham Yatra season, the suspension is likely to create difficulties for pilgrims who have booked helicopter services, particularly those travelling to Kedarnath. Operators have said arranging additional pilots at such short notice would be challenging.
Processing refunds for passengers who have already booked their tickets could also become difficult.OPERATORS FLAG FINANCIAL, OPERATIONAL BURDENIn their representation addressed to the Director General of Civil Aviation, the helicopter operators acknowledged the regulator's responsibility to maintain aviation safety but raised concerns over the implementation of the new requirement without adequate consultation with stakeholders. They argued that deploying two pilots on every charter sortie would substantially increase operating costs, crew requirements, accommodation expenses, logistical costs and overall operational commitments.The operators said the additional expenditure could not be absorbed within the existing commercial structure, given the prevailing charter rates and limited operating margins.
They also maintained that passing the entire additional financial burden on to customers was not commercially feasible. Emphasising their existing safety and regulatory compliance measures, the operators said they had consistently followed applicable DGCA regulations and invested considerable resources in maintaining safe and reliable helicopter services in the challenging Himalayan terrain.They maintained that any additional safety measures should be practical, proportionate and commercially sustainable, and should be developed in consultation with operators.The letter also urged the DGCA and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) to reconsider the mandatory two-pilot requirement and explore an alternative operational framework that addresses safety concerns without making helicopter services commercially unviable.SIX KILLED IN BADRINATH HELICOPTER CRASHThe operators' protest follows the DGCA's rule after October 30 crash in which a helicopter carrying five passengers and a pilot from Badrinath crashed in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.The helicopter went missing while flying over the Joshimath valley and lost communication at around 1.30 pm.
Its tracking system also stopped transmitting, following which a search and rescue operation was launched.The bodies of all six occupants were subsequently recovered from the crash site near Chayi village.The pilot, Himanshu Sabharwal, was from Delhi. The helicopter was operated by private aviation company Trans Bharat Aviation.The DGCA has initiated a probe into the accident and dispatched a team of officials to Dehradun for a preliminary regulatory assessment.
As a precautionary measure, the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation was grounded.TWO EMERGENCY LANDINGS REPORTED EARLIER IN OCTOBERThe October 30 crash was preceded by two emergency landings involving Char Dham helicopters in Uttarakhand earlier in the month.In one incident, a helicopter made an emergency landing in Rudraprayag due to poor weather conditions. In another, a helicopter was forced to land in Tehri following a technical issue.- Ends(With agency inputs)