Helicopter operators have slammed the Uttarakhand government for its “unofficial ban” on chopper flights following a series of air crashes. Objecting to Uttarakhand’s proposed aviation norms, the operators insist that only the country’s national aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), should set safety standards.
“There is a complete stoppage of helicopters flying, which includes charter services for Char Dham routes and all non-scheduled chopper flights because of the Uttarakhand government’s decision, though there is no such safety directive from the DGCA,” Group Captain (retd.) R.K. Bali, managing director, Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA), said. The decision was a knee-jerk reaction, Mr. Bali said, in a reference to the five helicopter crashes in the State in May and June, including two crashes that resulted in 13 fatalities.
The industry body has also written to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), asserting that the DGCA is the “sole regulatory authority” empowered to assess and direct aviation safety measures in the country.
A senior UCADA official denied the existence of a “blanket ban” other than the temporary suspension of shuttle services for pilgrims to Kedarnath in the rainy season, as it’s done every year.
