India
Char Dham rules require 1,500 hours of hill flying experience
The Indian Express·
Friday's Uttarakhand helicopter crash follows a June 15, 2025 Char Dham Yatra accident that triggered a civil aviation review. The DGCA enforced stricter protocols and UCADA required pilots to have at least 1,500 hours of hill flying experience. A Rajya Sabha committee's 380th report on August 20, 2025 examined four helicopter accidents during the 2025 yatra.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Pilgrims booking charter helicopters face tighter pilot experience checks under UCADA's 2025 guidelines.
- Operators must report each take-off to UCADA and follow weather protocols during the yatra season.
- Aryan Aviation operations were suspended and two TransBharat pilots faced six month licence suspensions after the June 2025 crash.
What's Happening
- All Kedarnath Valley helicopter services paused for two days on June 15 and 16, 2025 after the accident.
- UCADA may suspend operators for violations and refer serious cases to the DGCA.
- The parliamentary committee cited regulatory gaps despite post-crash safeguards for the monsoon phase.
UCADA Oversight Role
- Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority regulates charter flights to shrines.
- Daily sortie limits depend on aircraft capacity, weather and DGCA regulations.
- The committee's 380th report was presented to the Rajya Sabha on August 20, 2025.
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