Char Dham Operators Threaten To Suspend Charter Services From Nov 2

Helicopter operators have threatened to suspend Char Dham charter services from Monday in protest against the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority's (UCADA) co-pilot rule, a move likely to disrupt the final leg of the pilgrimage before the shrines close for winter.

In a letter written to the UCADA on Sunday, the operators said they would stop the services on Monday unless the order is withdrawn.

On



Saturday, the UCADA announced that a co-pilot will be mandatory for all choppers flying on the Char Dham yatra route. 

The decision was made following a chopper crash near Joshimath in Chamoli district on Oct 30, in which six people died. The operators expressed their inability to accept the mandatory twin-pilot requirement "in its present form" and raised serious concerns and reservations regarding the mandatory requirement for charter services.