Helicopter services to Kedarnath shrine shut until Sept with monsoon arrival
The helicopter services to the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district have been shut until September with the monsoon arrival per the instructions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the Kedarnath shrine, navigating the treacherous mountain terrain. (HT PHOTO)
'The operators shut down their operations with the arrival of the monsoon session. The services will now resume in September in compliance with the directions of the DGCA,' said Rudraprayag district tourism officer Rahul Chaubey, who is also the nodal officer for the chopper services to Kedarnath.
In 2024, helicopters made 22,804 sorties on the Kedarnath route during the Char Dham yatra (May-June and September-October). Until June 15, 2025, 8,786 sorties were carried out on the route, and the number was comparatively low because of adverse weather conditions.
A helicopter carrying pilgrims from Kedarnath crashed on June 15, killing all seven people aboard, including a two-year-old girl. The tragedy was the fifth helicopter incident on the route in six weeks. Three emergency landings and another crash killed six people during this period.
The crash highlighted growing safety concerns over helicopter operations serving the Char Dham pilgrimage route, which includes four sacred Hindu temples in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine, navigating the treacherous mountain terrain.
The crash prompted the suspension of the chopper services on the Char Dham route for two days.
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