Overview

• Four helicopter mishaps have occurred in the past month during the Char Dham Yatra, including a crash near Uttarkashi that killed six pilgrims and multiple emergency landings.
• The DGCA has suspended Kestrel Aviation Pvt Ltd’s operations with immediate effect and temporarily halted two shuttle operators for violating parking SOPs.
• All helicopter flights in Uttarakhand must now operate under out-of-ground-effect conditions until further notice.
• Special audits and enhanced surveillance have been ordered for shuttle and charter operators across the Char Dham routes.
• Regulator officials are monitoring live UCADA camera feeds at Kedarnath and have launched safety investigations into each incident to identify mechanical, operational and weather-related factors.