Friday’s helicopter crash in Uttarakhand comes a little over a year after a series of helicopter accidents during the 2025 Char Dham Yatra, which prompted the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Uttarakhand government to announce a series of measures aimed at improving flight safety, monitoring weather conditions and strengthening oversight of private helicopter operators.Following the June 15, 2025 crash, the Ministry of Civil Aviation ordered an immediate review of helicopter operations in the region.All helicopter services in the Kedarnath Valley were suspended for two days, June 15 and 16. The ministry directed the DGCA to enforce stricter safety protocols, while UCADA was asked to review all helicopter operators and pilots before services could resume.The operations of Aryan Aviation were suspended, while the licences of two TransBharat Aviation pilots were suspended for six months after they were found flying in similar unsuitable weather conditions. The government also announced a dedicated command-and-control mechanism to monitor helicopter movements in real time.Subsequently, in July 2025, UCADA issued revised guidelines for charter helicopter operations during the Char Dham Yatra.These stipulated that pilots deployed for the operations must have a minimum of 1,500 hours of hill-flying experience. The guidelines also provided for daily limits on charter sorties, depending on aircraft capacity, prevailing weather conditions and DGCA regulations.Operators were required to report every take-off to UCADA’s operations team and comply with weather-related safety protocols. The guidelines also empowered UCADA to suspend operations in cases of violations and report serious non-compliance to the DGCA.Story continues below this adThe government subsequently introduced additional safeguards for the post-monsoon phase of the 2025 pilgrimage season.In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on December 4, 2025, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said control rooms had been operationalised at Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun and Sitapur near Kedarnath. These were manned by UCADA officers responsible for taking go/no-go decisions based on real-time assessments of weather and air traffic.An Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer and an IMD officer were also deployed at each control room to maintain radio communication with helicopters in flight and disseminate critical weather information. Additional weather cameras were installed along the Char Dham and Kedarnath routes.The ministry said the DGCA had inspected six helicopter operators and seven helipads before granting permission for Kedarnath operations. For Char Dham operations, 12 operators and 10 helipads were inspected or audited before receiving operational approval.Despite these measures, a parliamentary standing committee subsequently raised concerns about the regulatory framework governing helicopter operations in Uttarakhand.In its 380th report on the overall review of safety in the civil aviation sector, presented to Parliament on August 20, 2025, the Rajya Sabha’s Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture examined the four helicopter accidents during the 2025 Char Dham Yatra.The committee pointed to three major challenges: difficult topography, rapidly changing and often severe weather conditions, and high-density air traffic.Story continues below this adIt also questioned the division of responsibilities between the DGCA and UCADA. While UCADA, a state government body, manages several operational aspects of the Char Dham helicopter services, including selection of shuttle operators, flight scheduling and slot management, the DGCA is responsible for aviation safety, airworthiness standards and enforcement.More significantly, it flagged the absence of mandatory, terrain-specific mountain-flying training and certification for pilots operating in the Himalayan region. The committee also recorded the DGCA’s concern that UCADA lacked adequately trained and competent manpower to manage high-density helicopter operations.It recommended a uniform national regulatory framework for helicopter operations managed by state agencies, mandatory mountain-flying training and certification for pilots, and a dedicated DGCA oversight cell to monitor high-altitude helicopter operations throughout the year.