NEW DELHI — India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday refused to withdraw its order requiring two pilots on every Char Dham helicopter flight. Most shuttle services to Kedarnath and Badrinath stayed grounded for a second day as 11 operators maintained their suspension.

The regulator issued the directive on 31 October, a day after a helicopter crash near Badrinath in Chamoli district killed six people. The order applies to Char Dham charter flights and shuttle sorties generally. It also requires destination clearance and a pilot report for every sector flown, and took effect on Monday, 2 November.

The operators said the rule could not be met at short notice. They said most of the light single-engine aircraft used on the pilgrimage routes cannot carry a second pilot without giving up a paying seat. They also cited a shortage of pilots qualified for high-altitude mountain flying.

The DGCA said in response that passenger safety would not be traded against seat economics after repeated fatal accidents on the circuit, including crashes at Gangnani and Gaurikund in 2025.

The standoff has left pilgrims who booked helicopter seats facing cancellations and long road or trekking journeys during the final weeks of the season. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority, which allots slots on the Kedarnath sectors, said it was speaking to both sides to restore limited services.

The Rudraprayag district administration said extra pony and palanquin capacity had been arranged on the trek from Gaurikund. A small number of flights were expected to resume only on aircraft able to carry two crew members.

The dispute is the sharpest clash between the regulator and Himalayan charter operators since services were briefly halted after the 2025 accidents. With Kedarnath due to close for winter around Bhai Dooj and Badrinath later in November, operators face losing the rest of the season's revenue. Aviation safety specialists have long argued that a second pilot reduces the risks of sudden weather changes in narrow valleys.