India's aviation watchdog — the Directorate General of Civil Aviation — on Monday suspended the operations of Kestrel Aviation Pvt. Ltd. in Uttarakhand with immediate effect, following multiple safety-related incidents during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
This comes after another operator's suspension in May over similar concerns.
In light of these recent incidents involving potential mechanical failures, operational lapses, and weather-related challenges, the DGCA has initiated safety investigations into each case to determine contributing factors. The regulator has ordered special audits and enhanced surveillance of all helicopter operators involved in shuttle and charter services in the state.
The DGCA is also reviewing whether curtailing helicopter operations to the Char Dham shrines might be necessary.
The regulator has stepped up monitoring by actively observing live camera feeds from the Kedarnath helipad, shared by the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority. This allows real-time detection of deviations from standard operating procedures.
On Tuesday, two helicopter operators conducting shuttle and charter services to Kedarnath were found violating SOPs, particularly with respect to helicopter parking. Their operations were suspended for two hours as immediate corrective action.
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