There is significant news for devotees planning to undertake the Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra 2026. Ticket bookings for the Kedarnath Dham heli-service will commence on April 11 at 12:00 noon. Under the first phase, bookings for heli-tickets covering the period from April 22 to June 15 will be accepted. Consequently, travelers wishing to visit Kedarnath Dham via helicopter services can begin booking their tickets starting April 11 through the official IRCTC website: heliyatra.irctc.co.in.
Notably, the Char Dham Yatra 2026 is scheduled to begin on April 19. The portals of the Gangotri and Yamunotri Dhams will be the first to open on April 19. Subsequently, the portals of Kedarnath Dham will open on April 22, followed by those of Badrinath Dham on April 23. Coinciding with this, ticket bookings for the Kedarnath heli-service will also commence on April 11.
Heli-Shuttle Service to be Fully High-Tech
To ensure that the upcoming Char Dham Yatra is safe, convenient, and well-organized, the Kedarnath heli-shuttle service is being made entirely high-tech this year. Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, modern technologies have been integrated into the heli-services to provide travelers with a superior, transparent, and secure travel experience.
Kedarnath Heli-Service to Operate from 8 Helipads
This year, a state-of-the-art system has been established to monitor the heli-services. Three Very High Frequency (VHF) setups have been installed at helipads along the pilgrimage route, while three additional VHF systems have been kept on standby as backups. To maintain a vigilant watch over the Kedarnath heli-service—which will operate from eight helipads during the pilgrimage—UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) is installing 18 Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras; 12 of these cameras have already been installed, while the installation process for the remaining six is currently underway.
Real-Time Monitoring to be Conducted
Through these cameras, the movement and activities of flights will be monitored in real-time, thereby enabling immediate action in the event of any emergency situation. Furthermore, live tracking devices have been made mandatory in all helicopters. This will enable the immediate tracking of a helicopter’s location in the event of any accident or emergency, thereby allowing rescue operations to be carried out swiftly.
