Char Dham Chopper Operators Threaten Shutdown Over New DGCA Two-Pilot Rule
Aviation authorities mandate two hill-qualified pilots per sortie following the Joshimath crash, drawing strong pushback from charter companies warning of financial unviability.
News Desk · · 2 min read
Helicopter charter companies operating in the Himalayan pilgrimage sector have threatened to suspend all services starting Monday, opposing newly instituted safety directives issued by the aviation regulator. The move follows an emergency regulatory intervention prompted by a fatal crash in Uttarakhand.
The standoff between carriers and oversight bodies threatens to halt crucial transport links for pilgrims visiting the Himalayan shrines, raising immediate questions about operational economics and high-altitude safety management in the region.
Under directives issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, every charter flight deployed across the pilgrimage routes must carry two pilots effective Monday, explicitly banning single-pilot operations. Furthermore, the regulator stipulated that the co-pilot must possess specific qualifications for operating in hilly terrain.
In a joint communication addressed to the aviation regulator on October 31, representatives representing 11 of the 13 active charter companies announced their decision to halt flights. Signatories argued that the twin-pilot mandate drastically escalates crew requirements, training overheads, accommodation expenses, and overall logistical commitments.
Operators maintained that prevailing charter rates and restricted operating margins do not permit the absorption of such sharp expenditure hikes. They added that passing the financial burden entirely onto passengers remains commercially unfeasible.
The regulatory tightening follows an October 30 accident involving an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation. The aircraft, returning from Badrinath toward Dehradun, crashed into a forested hillside in the Joshimath valley of Chamoli district, resulting in six fatalities, including the pilot and five passengers.
Alongside the crew requirements, the regulator instituted procedural protocols requiring flights to secure positive destination and en-route clearance from the control room at Sahastradhara prior to departure for every individual sector. Crews are also mandated to file a formal Pilot Report after landing at every destination helipad.
The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority has been tasked with establishing modalities for issuing pre-departure clearances and archiving pilot reports. Meanwhile, industry stakeholders have urged authorities to reconsider the stipulations and formulate an alternative framework that preserves operational viability without compromising safety standards.