Shrine board reviews helicopter services for Amarnath yatra
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, June 22
A meeting was held here today to discuss the standard operating procedures (SOP) with regard to the functioning of helicopter services during the upcoming Amarnath yatra.
The meeting was chaired by PK Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).
Jitendra K Singh, Additional CEO, SASB; and representatives of Director General of Civil Aviation, New Delhi; Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd; Pawan Hans Ltd; Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd, beside the Chief Operation Officer, Air Force Station, Srinagar, also participated in the meeting.
The meeting also reviewed to-date position of booking of helicopter tickets for the Yatra.
The meeting was informed that helicopter operators had established their offices at Srinagar, Pahalgam and Neelgrath and online helicopter ticket booking facility had been made available to the intending pilgrims from March 20 onwards.
Tickets can be booked online through the websites of the aforesaid helicopter service providers, who had also launched advance bookings through their appointed agents.
Pertinently, the Shrine Board has made arrangement with the Pawan Hans Ltd and the Global Vectra Helicorps Ltd for providing helicopter services on the Neelgrath-Panjtarni-Neelgrath sector.
The Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd will provide for helicopter services on the Pahalgam- Panjtarni-Pahalgam sector.
One-way passenger fare for the helicopter service on the Neelgrath-Panjtarni and Pahalgam-Panjtarni sectors has been fixed at Rs 1,950 and Rs 4,190 respectively.
The CEO said yatris, who wish to avail helicopter service, were not required to seek advance registration through designated bank branches as their applications for purchase of helicopter tickets contained the required information and the same should be treated as yatra permit for undertaking the pilgrimage.
However, no such yatris will be allowed to board a helicopter unless he produces the required compulsory health certificate issued by an authorised doctor, he said.
Every pilgrim undertaking a helicopter journey will have to furnish a compulsory health certificate at the time of boarding at Neelgrath or Pahalgam, without which the boarding pass will not be issued.
The CEO, meanwhile, stressed helicopter operator to ensure that they strictly comply with all the safety requirements and follow ethical trade practices in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the DGCA/Air Traffic Controller and the terms and conditions of their agreement with the Shrine Board.
