Hyderabad: Helicopter operators have said they will suspend Char Dham charter services from Monday (November 02) in protest against the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority's co-pilot rule, a move that could disrupt the final leg of the pilgrimage before the shrines close for winter.
In a letter to UCADA on Sunday, the operators said services would stop from Monday unless the order is withdrawn. UCADA had announced on Saturday that a co-pilot would be mandatory on all choppers flying the Char Dham route, after a chopper crashed near Joshimath in Chamoli district on October 30, killing six people on board.
The operators said they could not accept the twin-pilot requirement "in its present form" and that imposing it "without adequate consultation with the operators and assessment of its commercial and operational implications" would make operations "financially unviable for all operators".
"The mandatory deployment of two pilots on every charter sortie will substantially increase operating costs, crew requirements, accommodation and logistical expenses," their representation said, adding that the extra burden could not be absorbed by operators nor passed on entirely to pilgrims.
They sought a review and a "mutually workable solution" with the authorities.
Gangotri is scheduled to close for winter on November 10, Kedarnath and Yamunotri on November 11, and Badrinath on November 16. (With inputs from PTI and media reports)