Online booking for helicopter services to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib will open on September 10. The booking window, managed through the IRCTC portal (https://heliyatra.irctc.co.in/), will go live at 12 pm. Tickets will be available for travel between September 15 and October 11. Officials have indicated that fares may increase this season.
Helicopter services were suspended after the June 15 crash, following which the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed restrictions on shuttle operations. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had then formed a committee to draft strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safe operations. The committee has now submitted its recommendations.
Recently, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan met officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA in Delhi, urging them to lift the ban and extend cooperation for resuming services. Following DGCA’s clearance, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has permitted the resumption of bookings. UCADA CEO Ashish Chauhan confirmed that the SOPs will ensure strict safety compliance during operations.
