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…