A collective of helicopter operators in Uttarakhand has threatened to suspend Char Dham charter services from Monday, opposing a new requirement making two pilots mandatory on every flight.This comes two days after a helicopter crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, killing all six people on board.In a letter dated October 31 and addressed to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 11 helicopter operators said the new requirement would substantially increase their operating costs and make continuing services financially unviable.The representation was submitted a day after a helicopter operated by Trans Bharat Aviation crashed near Chhai village in the Joshimath area on Friday, while returning from Badrinath towards Dehradun.The operators said they were unable to accept the twin-pilot requirement in its present form and proposed suspending their Char Dham charter operations from November 2, until the authorities reviewed the decision and arrived at a mutually workable solution.“The mandatory deployment of two pilots on every charter sortie will substantially increase operating costs, crew requirements, accommodation and logistical expenses, and overall operational commitments,” the letter stated.Also Read | Exclusive: As Uttarakhand chopper crash probe widens, focus on flights that took off before and after“Given the existing commercial structure, prevailing charter rates and limited operational margins, these additional costs cannot be reasonably absorbed by the operators. Nor is it commercially feasible to pass on the entire additional burden to customers,” it added.Story continues below this adThe letter, addressed to the DGCA chief, was signed by representatives of 11 companies, including Himalayan Heli Services, Arrow Aircraft Sales and Charters, Kan Aerofoil, Indo Copters, Pilgrimage Aviation, Baramati Agro, Rajas Aerosports, Heritage Aviation, Thumby Aviation, United Helicharters and Chipsan Aviation. Copies were marked to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; the Secretary, Civil Aviation Department, Uttarakhand; and the CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA).The DGCA’s decision to make two pilots mandatory for Char Dham charter flights was announced on Saturday, a day after the crash. The requirement will come into effect from the first take-off on Monday. According to the new rules, the co-pilot, too, must be qualified to fly in hilly terrain.Also Read | Why are so many helicopters crashing in Uttarakhand? The risks explainedThe regulator has also directed operators to obtain positive destination and en route clearance from the Control Room at Sahastradhara before the take-off for every leg of Char Dham operations.All crew members will have to submit a Pilot Report (PIREP) after landing at each destination helipad, recording weather conditions and other information encountered along the route. The reports are intended to help pilots undertaking subsequent flights assess conditions better.Story continues below this adThe operators, however, argued that additional safety measures should be developed in consultation with those operating in the region. “Our collective position is that any additional safety-related measures must be practical, proportionate, commercially sustainable and developed in consultation with the operating stakeholders,” they said.They also maintained that they had consistently complied with DGCA regulations and invested resources in maintaining safe operations in the challenging Himalayan terrain. “Under the proposed framework, continuing operations would result in unsustainable financial and operational commitments, leaving the operators with no commercially viable alternative,” the letter said.The proposed suspension comes with the annual pilgrimage season approaching its winter closure, but with substantial pilgrim movement continuing in the region.According to the Chamoli district administration’s Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib Darshan Bulletin, dated October 31, a total of 10,306 pilgrims visited Badrinath in the preceding 24 hours. The cumulative number of visitors to the shrine this season stood at 21,92,054.Story continues below this adThe district recorded 1,127 vehicles travelling to Badrinath during the same 24-hour period. The cumulative vehicle count for the season stood at 2,63,457.The Char Dham pilgrimage began on April 19 this year, with the opening of the Yamunotri and Gangotri temples. Kedarnath opened on April 22 and Badrinath on April 23. The circuit comprises four Himalayan shrines — Yamunotri and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district, Kedarnath in Rudraprayag, and Badrinath in Chamoli.Also Read | Explained: Proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering Char Dham, amid questions of legalityGangotri is scheduled to close on November 10, while the portals of Kedarnath and Yamunotri will close on November 11. Badrinath is scheduled to close on November 16.The Hemkund Sahib shrine, another major pilgrimage destination in Chamoli district, closed for the winter on October 10. A total of 3,90,696 pilgrims visited the shrine this year, according to the district bulletin.Story continues below this adThe government had also operationalised integrated command and control centres at Sahastradhara and Sitapur to monitor helipad operations, helicopter tracking and weather surveillance. Automatic weather observation systems and ceilometers were installed at Sitapur, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Jhala and Kharsali. Pilots operating in the Char Dham sector were required to have at least 750 hours of hill-flying experience, including 100 hours in the preceding year and at least 10 take-offs and landings at Kedarnath.The latest two-pilot directive adds another layer of requirements to these existing safety measures.