Aviation regulator DGCA suspended the operating permit of Global Vectra, whose promoter Ravi Rishi is under the CBI scanner in the controversial Tatra truck deal with the army, following withdrawal of security clearance by the Union Home Ministry.
Immediately after withdrawing the security clearance, the Ministry also put on hold its move to wet lease helicopters from Global Vectra for anti-Naxal operations and will now have to look for other private firms for hiring the choppers.
Public sector undertaking Pawan Hans is also gearing up to face the challenge of catering extra helicopters to various shrine boards and make a similar offer to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
At Katra in Jammu, additional helicopters of Pawan Hans were pushed into service to ferry pilgrims to Vaishno Devi shrine. Hundreds of passengers are ferried daily through helicopters which were run by Global Vectra and Pawan Hans.
State-owned ONGC and other oil companies have also begun hunting for helicopters for their offshore operations after suspension of licences to Global Vectra. The PSU had leased eight helicopters from Global Vectra for ferrying its employees to oil and gas installations off both east and west coast, while BG Group has hired two choppers for supporting operations at its western offshore Panna/Mukta and Tapti oil and gas fields.
Pawan Hans officials said that it was a challenge for the government-owned company to live up to the expectations of the government and private players.
With a fleet of 45 helicopters, Pawan Hans is confident it will fulfil the needs of oil companies and shrines.
About the anti-Naxal operations, the officials said that Pawan Hans was already a part of it by flying sorties for paramilitary forces in Odisha and Bihar.
The DGCA suspended the flying permit of Global Vectra after the Home Ministry withdrew its security clearance and recommended to the Civil Aviation Ministry to annul the non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) of the company.
The suspension of the NSOP would lead to grounding of the entire 23 choppers of the company which were used in onshore and offshore operations for oil companies, besides catering to tourist travels in the northeast and pilgrim destinations like Vaishno Devi and Amarnath shrine.
