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Reaffirming its steadfast commitment to aviation safety, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday ordered special audits and enhanced surveillance of helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
The move comes after several recent incidents involving helicopter operations in the hill state. The aviation watchdog has also suspended the operations of Kestrel Aviation Private Limited with immediate effect after one of its helicopters made an emergency landing in the middle of a highway in Guptkashi on June 7. Five passengers on board the chopper, en route to Kedarnath from Rudraprayag, narrowly escaped. "This is in addition to the suspension of operations of another operator for safety violations in May 2025," DGCA said in a statement. As a precautionary measure, the DGCA is also reviewing the necessity of curtailing helicopter operations to the Char Dham entirely if required. It has started actively monitoring the live camera feeds provided by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) at Kedarnath, the statement said. The aviation watchdog said that any deviation from standard operating procedures (SOP) by helicopter operators is detected in real time, allowing for immediate corrective measures. "Today, two helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services to Kedarnath from their respective helipads failed to adhere to SOPs, particularly regarding proper helicopter parking procedures," said the DGCA A safety investigation has been initiated to identify contributing factors, including mechanical failures, operational errors, and weather-related challenges, the statement said. Additionally, directives have been issued to all helicopter operators, restricting operations to Out of Ground Effect (OGE) conditions till further notice. (ANI)
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