This has been a sordid year so far for Indian aviation, with the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit in Uttarkhand reporting as many as five helicopter crashes in 40 days — the last on June 15 killing seven people, including the pilot, near Gaurikund between Kedarnath and Guptkashi. On May 8, a crash near Gangotri claimed six lives. On June 7, a helicopter crash-landed on to the Gaurikund-Guptkashi highway and damaged a car, but miraculously enough there were no fatalities.

There have been serious mishaps in earlier years as well. It is about time that these services are brought under strict scrutiny to prevent such mishaps. The number of helicopter users in a season of 135 days would be close to 1.5 lakh. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended the operations of Aryan Aviation (involved in the June 15 tragedy) and Kestrel Aviation (flying the June 7 helicopter). A press statement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on June 15 said that the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) will set up a ‘command and control room’ to monitor real-time operations, while ‘airworthiness and safety’ officers will oversee operations in the Kedarnath valley. The DGCA has spelt out some technical criteria to reduce the maximum permissible load on a helicopter.

Flying these machines in Uttarakhand is a risky affair, anyway. This is daunting terrain, where mountains stand like huge walls, often concealed by large, moving clouds. In the Kedarnath valley, the clouds are known to materialise out of nowhere, even as there is no air traffic control system or reliable micro weather forecasting to forewarn about such dangers. The skills of helicopter pilots would be sorely tested. Air safety would depend on air traffic control systems, the safety of the aircraft, the number of trips, the skill and experience of pilots and the weather in the region. Air safety infrastructure must come up at the earliest, and this includes taking stock of the quality of the helicopters and their pilots.

A big problem here appears to be the revenue model for the helicopter services. The UCADA is reported to charge a stiff landing fee, while the government has capped the fare at about ₹7,000. This apparently pushes operators to maximise their trips. According to some reports, the UCADA has now halved the number of daily sorties to less than 150 from close to 300. But for this norm to continue, it is important that fares are rationalised. It is absurd that they are at the same level as pony rides to the shrines. For the convenience of flying, passengers must pay up. This will reduce the demand for sorties and hence the risks involved in running helicopter services like tempos. Religious tourism, which entails providing for the needs of millions in a season, must be accompanied by more responsible governance, both in the air and on the ground. The facilities for pilgrims must take into account the topography and ecological fragility of Uttarakhand.

Published on June 22, 2025