Helicopter rides for leisure in the Himalayas will soon be a thing of the past at Nepal’s Sagarmatha National Park due to an upcoming ban on helicopter sightseeing.

Authorities at the UNESCO-listed park which covers the Everest region announced the ban last 11th December; it will take effect beginning 1st January.

Park officials primarily cited environmental reasons for putting the ban in place, noting that helicopter sightseeing has proven detrimental to the environment and local wildlife.

The ban is being backed by local government officials, particularly those within the vicinity of Mount Everest.

The Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality, in particular, issued a notice regarding noise pollution from choppers and other impacts on forest, wildlife and the environment of the Everest buffer zone, Sagarmatha National Park, as well as the local community.

The restriction on helicopter sightseeing applies mainly to regions that are above 4,000 meters of altitude.

Not without controversy

But while park authorities and the local government are all in favour of the ban, Nepalese tourism professionals and helicopter tour operators are up in arms against it.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, in particular, issued a notice ast 13th December, claiming that the ban was illegal.

Civil aviation officials declared that banning helicopter tour operations is not within the jurisdiction of national park authorities; they subsequently urged helicopter operators to continue running their services.

Likewise, the ban directly impacts Nepal’s helicopter industry, given how 60 percent of their business comes from the Everest region.

It should be noted, however, that some helicopter flights will still be allowed, particularly those for emergencies or bringing in necessities to those in the mountains.

In which case, medical evacuation flights are exempted as are choppers ferrying essential commodities for climbers and others participating in expeditions up to Pangboche.