DGCA clears Char Dham helicopter services with stricter safety measures

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has cleared the resumption of helicopter services for the Char Dham Yatra after the monsoon break, with enhanced safety measures and stricter oversight in place, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday.

The operations resumed from September 15–16 following a comprehensive inspection and audit of helipads, helicopters, operator preparedness and support facilities by DGCA teams between September 13 and 16, the ministry said in a statement.

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held multiple review meetings in Dehradun and Delhi to ensure close coordination between the DGCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI), state government and Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).

The aviation regulator has implemented several safety initiatives with “zero tolerance for lapses” in response to a series of helicopter accidents in the Char Dham sector earlier this year, the ministry said.

These include strengthened pilot training, recurrent route checks, mandatory use of modern navigation and communication aids, enhanced weather monitoring, stricter weight-and-balance compliance, and additional airworthiness inspections.

The DGCA has also mandated passenger safety briefings and deployed additional ground staff at helipads, while AAI air traffic controllers, IMD meteorological officers and UCADA personnel will man control rooms during the yatra period.

The two components of Chardham Yatra by helicopters are charter services from Dehradun (Sahstradhara) to Yamunotri/Gangotri/Kedarnath/Badrinath; and shuttle services to Shri Kedarnath Ji Helipad from Guptkashi/Phata/Sitapur cluster.

According to the DGCA, six operators will run shuttle services to the Kedarnath helipad from Guptkashi, Phata and Sitapur, while seven operators or consortiums will undertake charter services from Dehradun’s Sahastradhara to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The DGCA said its teams on flight operations and airworthiness will be deployed at critical helipads for on-ground monitoring, along with surprise checks and audits to ensure compliance with directives.

“Recognising the critical role of helicopter services in facilitating pilgrim movement to the shrines located in high-altitude and remote areas of Uttarakhand, the DGCA has put in place enhanced safety measures to ensure safe and seamless operations,” the ministry said.