Spate of helicopter crashes sparks calls for safety protocol overhaul

A spate of helicopter accidents in recent months, including two fatal crashes that killed 13 people, has ignited urgent calls for a significant overhaul of regulatory oversight and safety protocols in the country's aviation sector.

- Daanish Anand

Between May and June, six helicopter-related incidents have happened, with the latest involving a Bell 407 helicopter that crashed on 15 June in Uttarakhand. Most of these crashes occurred in Uttarakhand, a hilly region, around the Char Dham Yatra, an annual Hindu pilgrimage.

The copter accident followed Air India's London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crash soon after taking off from Ahmedabad on 12 June.

As per experts that Mint spoke to, there are frequent helicopter-related incidents due to insufficient regulatory oversight, pilot fatigue and lack of infrastructure. Industry stakeholders and safety experts are now calling for a structural overhaul to ensure safety in operations.