Chartered helicopter flights for Uttarakhand’s Char Dham pilgrwere not operated on Monday after service providers opposed a new Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requirement to include a co-pilot. The disruption comes just days before the Char Dham portals are scheduled to close.
The operators are not currently willing to run chartered flights under the revised arrangement. As a result, the chartered service is expected to resume only next year.
Dispute over the new operating requirement
The DGCA decided that chartered helicopter operations should include a co-pilot after a helicopter crashed into a hillside between Chain village and Lambagad in the Jyotirmath area of Chamoli district. The new requirement was scheduled to take effect on Monday.
Operators held a meeting with officials from the DGCA and the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA). However, they did not agree to operate the service under the new rules, and chartered flights remained suspended.
UCADA chief executive officer Prateek Jain said chartered helicopter operations would follow any directions issued by the DGCA. He also confirmed that operators were not prepared to run the service with a co-pilot at present.
The decision means pilgrims who had expected to use chartered helicopter services during the remaining days of this season will not have that option while the dispute continues. The service is expected to be available again during next year’s Char Dham pilgr.
Crash investigation team turns back
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and DGCA team also could not reach the helicopter crash site. The team returned because the route to the location was difficult and the accident site is on a hillside.
The helicopter had crashed after striking a mountain between Chain village and Lambagad in Chamoli district’s Jyotirmath area. The report does not provide a revised date for the team’s next attempt to reach the site.
Conclusion
Chartered Char Dham helicopter services have stopped for the current season after operators rejected the new co-pilot requirement. Operations are expected to resume next year in line with DGCA directions, while the crash investigation team has yet to reach the difficult hillside site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why were the chartered helicopter services suspended?
Operators opposed the DGCA’s new requirement that chartered helicopter flights include a co-pilot.
Q. When was the new co-pilot requirement due to begin?
The requirement was scheduled to be implemented on Monday.
Q. When are chartered helicopter services expected to resume?
The service is expected to operate next year.
Q. Where did the helicopter crash linked to the new rule occur?
It crashed into a hillside between Chain village and Lambagad in the Jyotirmath area of Chamoli district.
Q. Which agencies tried to reach the crash site?
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation sent a team to the site.
Q. Why did the investigation team return?
The team turned back because the route was difficult and the crash site was located on a hillside.
Q. What did UCADA chief executive officer Prateek Jain say?
He said chartered helicopter operations would follow DGCA directions, while operators were not currently ready to fly with a co-pilot.
