Mata Vaishno Devi Charter

Apart from our shuttle services from Katra, we also offer exclusive charter services ex-Jammu airport to the Mata Vaishnodevi shrine. Perfect for the VIP and exclusive travellers for a swift same day journey to this highly revered holy shrine.

Duration: 01 Day

Itinerary: Jammu ➝ Sanjichat ➝ Jammu

Operational During: January - December


Booking Registration


package includes:

>  Helicopter flying charges ex–Jammu airport.

>  Aircraft handling and landing/parking charges

>  Shri Mata Vaishnodevi shrine board royalty charges.

>  Airside vehicle services at Jammu airport.

>  Himalayan Heli crew at each location to escort the passengers.

>  Govt. Taxes.


Package Cost: INR 3,50,000/- FOR UPTO 6 PASSENGERS (TAX INCLUSIVE)


  • ITINERARY

    1.

    On arrival at Jammu Airport, our crew shall receive the guests and escort them right from Arrival terminal, to security clearance till boarding of their helicopter flight to Sanjichat. It will take approx. 20-30 minutes to board the helicopter flight from the time of your arrival at Jammu.

    • Departure : Jammu Airport
    • Altitude : 950 ft


    • Arrival : Sanjichhat Helipad
    • Altitude : 5500 ft
    • On arrival at Sanjichat, our base manager will receive the guests. Then a Himalayan Heli crew member will be guiding the passengers till the Bhawan and back. Bhawan is a 20-minute, 2.5 km walk from Sanjichat Helipad. If the guests require a pony/palki till bhawan, it can be arranged at Sanjichat.


    2.

    After Darshan, guests will be escorted back to Sanjichat Helipad and we will be ready for Departure.

    • Departure : Sanjichhat Helipad
    • Altitude : 5500 ft


    • Arrival : Jammu Airport
    • Altitude : 950 ft
    • On landing back at Jammu airport, our crew will receive the guests & take them to the airport lobby, after which guests shall board their scheduled/ non-scheduled flights.
  • COVID SAFETY

    • On landing back at Jammu airport, our crew will receive the guests & take them to the airport lobby, after which guests shall board their scheduled/ non-scheduled flights.

    • Covid negative report is required to enter Jammu & Kashmir and is compulsory for visiting Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.

    • Passengers will be provided PPE gowns/kits, masks & sanitizers by our crew before boarding their respective flights.

    • Passengers should ensure social distancing with other pilgrims at the time of darshan.

    • Wearing a mask is compulsory to board the helicopter and must be worn at all times.

    • Post-flight our helicopters are sanitized and fumigated for the safe flying of our passengers.

  • BAD WEATHER/FORCE MAJEURE DISCLAIMER

    • Flying in hills is subject to weather conditions. And in regard to our Shri Mata Vaishno Devi operations, we would like to bring to your kind attention that flight cancellations & other inconveniences due to weather are very much likely since weather is extremely unpredictable in the hills.

    • Passengers should come prepared to face the eventualities which can arise by bad weather/force majeure problems.

    • Force Majeure situations include cases of bad weather, low visibility for flying, delayed Air Traffic Clearances/Permissions, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in aircraft, illness of flying crew or late reporting of the guests at the helipads, among others.

    • Further please note, in case of bad weather/force majeure situation, we will operate as per our policies mentioned in the ‘Terms & Conditions’ & ‘Important Guidelines & Policies’ sections.

  • HELICOPTER TYPE & CAPACITY

    We operate Airbus AS350 B3 single engine helicopters. This helicopter is known for its high-altitude performance. The helicopter can seat a total of 6 passengers, maximum total weight permissible is 450 kgs.

  • BAGGAGE LIMITATION

    Only one handbag weighing a maximum of 5 kgs is allowed per passenger.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    Q.1: What will happen incase of bad weather?
    Ans: Passengers will be refunded as per Cancellation policy.

    Q.2: How much time will I get for darshan?
    Ans: Pilgrims will be given 2 hours for the darshan.

    Q.3: What kind of clothing should I be bringing?
    Ans: During the winters, Sanjichat can get quite cold, you should wear warm clothes and carry an additional set just in case.

    Q.4: Which telephone networks work?
    Ans: Only post-paid mobile numbers work in Jammu & Kashmir. At Katra & Sanjichat most mobile networks like Airtel, Vodafone, Jio and BSNL work. However, 46 or 3G data services may or may not work.

    Q.5: Will we be escorted throughout our Darshan?
    Ans: You will never walk alone; you will always be escorted by our crew throughout your yatra.

    Q.6: What is the distance of the shrine from the Sanjichat Helipad?
    Ans: The holy cave of Mata Vaishno Devi is situated at a distance of 2.5 km from Sanjichat Helipad, time required for on foot journey depends on your Health/Age. However, for a normal healthy person it takes about 30 to 40 minutes on foot.
  • Weather & What to wear

    April – June
    Katra gets quite hot in the summers. Light summer clothes are good. At Sanjichat, there is moderate temperature. A light sweater should be good enough in case you wish to spend the night at Sanjichat.

    July – October
    Katra and Sanjichat both witness heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. Pilgrims are advised to carry waterproof / warm clothes, raincoats and umbrellas.

    November - March
    Katra gets as cold as Jammu or Delhi, passengers are advised to carry warm woollen clothes.
    At Sanjichat, temperatures can be sub-zero as there can be heavy snowfall during the month of December, January & February, pilgrims are advised to carry heavy woollen clothing during these times.
  • Safety while on the track

    • There are lots of landslide prone areas along the track. Please avoid resting near landslide prone areas.
    • Avoid using routes closed for repairs. This can prove extremely dangerous.
    • Don’t crowd anywhere Instead keep moving.
    • Yatries with any kind of medical problems are strongly advised against using the stairs.
    • Avoid carrying too much cash, Jewellery and valuables. Take proper care whatever you carry and beware of pickpockets and petty thieves.
  • IMPORTANT GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

    In respect of COVID-19, all necessary measures issued by the State & Central Governments would have to be adhered by the passengers. The measures shall be confirmed by HHSPL to the passengers 02-03 weeks prior to the date of arrival. Without adhering to the prescribed measures/requirements, boarding would be denied without any refunds.

    • The mentioned charter cost is valid subject to strict compliance of the above sector. Any alteration in plan will be extra chargeable over and above the above quote.

    • The above-mentioned flying timings are not final. Timings may differ on your date of travel, depending up on, your arrival at Jammu Airport & the take-off time from Jammu, which depends on weather conditions, clearance from Air Force & Civil Aviation, VVIP movements, flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in helicopter, illness of flying crew or delayed reporting of the guests at the helipads.

    Guests have to MANDATORILY submit their correct weights at the time of booking. The reason for the same is that, we operate at very high-altitude terrain where the weight carrying capacity of the aircraft is only 450kg. If any change in weight found at the time of their travel, from the submitted weights, which may lead to exceeding of our aircraft weight carrying capacity, guest(s) would be deboarded & cancelled for the charter, without any refund.

    • Weighing at the time of boarding the helicopter is a must, since the HHSPL shall not allow boarding in case the total weight exceeds the weight limitation of the helicopter. And, due to the same reason, in case of more than 01 available aircraft, HHSPL reserve the right to shuffle passengers between helicopters to manage the right weight of helicopters for safe flying in the hills. Therefore, passengers travelling together might not be accommodated in the same helicopter flight.

    • Passengers would be taken on board depending on load and temperature conditions. Pilot's call will be final. Hence, passengers are advised to provide their exact weights at the time of booking and carry luggage within the permissible limit.

    • Passengers will be picked up from Jammu airport depending upon the arrival of their flights. Passengers are advised to arrive at Jammu by 1000 Hrs at the latest, in order to comfortably finish the darshan & return same day.

    • Last ETD from Sanjichhat will be 1400 Hrs (in case passengers are travelling by scheduled airlines) to Jammu Airport. If ETD is further delayed, the chances of missing the return flight from Srinagar Airport is high. It is advisable to depart from Sanjichhat by 1330 Hrs at the latest, as scheduled flights are operated from Jammu Airport till approximately 1600 Hrs.

    • Cut-off time of our flight from Sanjichhat to Jammu for the passengers who would be doing night halt at Jammu is 1530 Hrs.

    • After reaching Jammu Airport, the charter shall conclude. Guests can be dropped by us to their hotel in Jammu (if doing night halt), in case hotel transfer has been arranged through HHSPL. NOTE: In case Night Halt is requested by the guests, it can be arranged by HHSPL at an additional cost.

    • In case flight is getting delayed due to NOTAM/delayed clearances/bad weather etc., HHSPL shall convey to the guests in advance.

    • Mentioned flight shall depend upon weather/wind/fog/visibility conditions and flight schedules are subject to change/divert due to weather conditions, flight safety and operational restrictions.

    • Confirmation of the flight is subject to availability of machines and government permissions, and booking can be confirmed only after the receipt of 100% advance payment. All the required landing and other necessary permissions from local administration is the responsibility of Himalayan Heli Services.

    AADHAR & PAN Card copies are to be shared mandatorily by all Indians, & passport is required in case of foreign nationals.

    • There is very limited space for luggage in the chopper, only 5 kg luggage per passenger will be permitted. Passengers bringing any excess baggage would not be allowed to take the same in the chopper.

    • Passengers can carry only one handbag each, as suitcases cannot be kept in the helicopter.

    • Passengers should be aware of the chances of high-altitude sickness. Hiring of Palki/Pony during the darshan is advisable, in order to avoid any strenuous activity.

    • Passengers are advised to carry jackets with them.

    • Hotel stay and meals are not included in the package. It can be arranged by HHSPL on additional charges.

    • Any donations, tips, pitthu and porter charges shall be borne by the guests.

    • Flying in hills is subject to weather conditions. And, in regards to our Charter operations, we would like to bring to your kind attention that cancellations & other inconveniences due to weather are very much likely since weather is extremely unpredictable in the hills. Therefore, guests should come prepared to face the eventualities caused by weather problems. Further please note, in case of bad weather, we shall operate as per our policies mentioned in the ‘Terms & Conditions’ & ‘Important Guidelines & Policies’ sections.

  • Terms and Conditions

    Our Heli Tours are not available for the following VIP’s:
    - Speaker Lok Sabha
    - Dy. Chairperson Rajya Sabha
    - Central Ministers of Cabinet Rank
    - C J I Supreme Court
    - Governors of State
    - Chief Ministers of State
    - State Ministers of Cabinet Rank
    - SPG Protectees – Z category only.

    • HHSPL reserves the right to postpone the timings of flying, which is subject to weather conditions, & any extra night stay cost in case of bad weather will be borne by the client.

    • Flying in hills are subject to many factors like delayed clearances from Air Force & Civil Aviation, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), bad weather, sudden occurrence of technical snag in helicopter, illness flying crew or late reporting of the guests at the helipads.

    • HHSPL reserves the right to cancel passengers, who are unruly, abusive, intoxicated, sick, mentally unbalanced or anyone else whom we deem to be unfit/unsafe to fly. No refund shall be issued to such passengers.

    • In case of charter getting cancelled due to bad weather on the date of travel of the guests, the booking will not be revalidated for the next day. Refund as per the refunds/cancellations policy shall be done to the clients, with no further obligation of HHSPL whatsoever. Any kind of inconvenience caused because of cancellation of flights is beyond the control of the operator. No compensation, reimbursement or arrangements shall be offered in the event of cancellation of a flight.

    • HHSPL shall not be liable for any medical emergency on the ground to the party. Therefore, in your own interest, guests are hereby advised to kindly consult a doctor and get medical check-up done, before commencing the yatra. Medical check-up is mainly required if a guest has any medical suffering/condition.

    • Guests are required to pay the 100% amount before the commencement of charter. Passengers would not be allowed to board or commence the tour, without paying the full and final payable amount.

    In case the flight being operated has Foreign national(s)/NRIs on board, a minimum 07 working days prior notice is mandatory in order to obtain the AOR clearance. Flight can not be operated if notice is given less than the mentioned period.

    • In case of extension to the scheduled program leading to crew layover, hiring party will make suitable arrangements for boarding, lodging & local transport at a 5-star level category or Himalayan Heli Services will make the necessary arrangements on additional price.

    • Carriage of dangerous goods/articles is not permitted. Restricted articles include, but are not limited to, compressed gases/corrosives/explosives/flammable liquids/solid/radio-active materials/infectious substances and briefcases with installed alarm devices.

    CARRIAGE BY AIR ACT, 1972
    The carriage is subject to Himalayan Heli Services regulations relating to the conditions of Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) framed in accordance with The Carriage by Air Act, 1972 and Notification regarding application of the carriage which is non-international. The liability of the company for damage sustained in the event of the death or wounding of a passenger or any other bodily injury suffered by passenger or by his registered baggage during the course of carriage by air will be governed by the provisions of sections 4,5,6 and the rules contained in the second Schedule of Carriage by Air Act 1972 with certain exceptions, adaptations, modifications, etc as notified in the Govt. of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation Notification and as amended from time to time.

    NO AERIAL PHOTOPGRAPHY
    Aerial Photography from Helicopter is illegal and punishable by law and photography at the helipad is strictly prohibited.

    INFANTS 
    Infant below 2 years/12kg are carried free of charge. In case of verification of age, ID proof/birth certificate of the child shall be checked.

    BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
    Only one handbag weighing a maximum of 5 kgs is allowed per passenger.

    HELICOPTER WEIGHT LIMTATION
    Passengers would be taken on board depending up on the load and temperature conditions. Pilots call will be final. Maximum weight capacity of the helicopter is 450 kg (excluding baggage weight) at these destinations. All passengers on board must be within this limit. Hence, passengers are advised to provide us their exact weights at the time of booking and carry baggage within the permissible limit.

    SEATING CAPACITY
    The maximum seating capacity for our helicopters is 06 passengers + 01 Crew.

    DISPUTES
    Disputes as to legality, interpretation, application, or performance of service or any of its terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Delhi Jurisdiction.

    PAYMENT TERMS
    The booking has to be done in advance with a deposit of 50% of the charter amount. Full amount has to be deposited 14 days prior to date of travel.

    RESCHEDULING OF BOOKING
    Rescheduling your travel date to any future or prior date, will be done subject to availability and on payment of 10% of the total charter. This will be permitted only if informed at least 07 days before arrival date. In case the rescheduling is requested in less than 07 days prior to the arrival, then the booking would be treated as cancelled and a fresh booking will be given subject to availability.

    REFUND POLICY:
    If passengers wish to cancel their booking, following refund policy shall be applicable –
    - 25% of the total charter cost will be levied if the flight is cancelled any time after blocking of the aircraft till 48 hours of the scheduled departure.
    - 50% of the total charter cost will be levied if the flight is cancelled within 48 to 24 hrs of the scheduled departure.
    - 100 % of the total charter cost will be levied if the flight is cancelled within 24 hrs of the scheduled departure.
    - No show – No Refund.
    - Cancellations after commencement of tour – No Refund.

    • In case of cancellation of one-way sector due to technical/force majeure reasons, proportionate charter cost shall be refunded. Please note, Shrine board royalty shall remain chargeable as applicable on the full charter cost. And any additional services & flight preparation charges will be chargeable too.

    BAD WEATHER/FORCE MAJEURE SITUATIONS POLICY:
    - In case Yatra gets cancelled/disturbed due to any force majeure, guests will be provided Credit Voucher from HHSPL for the advance paid, which will be valid for one year from the initial date of travel. Please note, advance once paid will not be refunded, but it can be utilised in the next one year against our helicopter tours/ charter services by availing the mentioned credit voucher.
    - Refund applicable, if the entire charter gets cancelled on the flying date due to any force majeure, minus INR 10,000 towards flight preparation charges and other additional charges for any added services by guests (if any).
    - Where bad weather, technical snags or any force majeure reason beyond Himalayan Heli Services’ control results in the cancellation of your flight being delayed or cancelled, Himalayan Heli Services will not be liable in any way for the cancelled or delayed flight. However, refund will be given to clients as per our refunds policy. Any kind of inconvenience caused because of cancellation of flights is beyond the control of the operator. No compensation or reimbursement for accommodation, transportation, meals or any other travel expenses done by the guests shall be offered in the event of cancellation of a flight.
    - After commencement of charter, if the aircraft has to return mid-way due to weather/force majeure conditions, guests will be charged for the flying time of the sector getting cancelled @ INR 90,000/hr plus GST, over & above the additional services rendered to the party.
    - Our obligation toward this charter is up to the date of flying. Under no circumstance, HHSPL shall increase the charter duration/period for the guests, & since we have advance bookings, carry forward of booking to subsequent dates will not be possible. On the flying date, HHSPL shall try to complete the charter for the guests, subject to weather conditions and other operational barriers.
    - HHSPL crew solely decides the planning of flights for the charter groups, since we may have to cater for multiple number of groups, in case of Bad weather/Force Majeure situation.
    - No additional ferry flights shall be borne by HHSPL under any circumstance. If any passenger(s) require ferry flights to be operated for them in emergency on personal request, cost for the same shall be charged to the party @ INR 90,000/hr plus GST.
    - In regards to the guests stranded at Sanjichhat, if any group requests to cancel their tour on their own desire and come down before their scheduled ETA/ETD no refunds shall be applicable for the cancelled sector.

    • No refund is applicable, in case the client cancels the charter and wishes to return back to base after the commencement of flying.

    • Bookings will be accepted, considering there is acceptance of the above-mentioned terms & conditions by the party.



Helipad Location
Searli Helipad, Near Searli Check Post, Katra Reasi Distt. J&K - 182301