The government has formed a high-level committee to conduct a comprehensive study on Nepal's civil aviation sector, which is plagued by frequent accidents.
The committee was formed during the Cabinet meeting last Friday, October 18, and will be chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Anil Kumar Sinha, reported RSS, the state-owned news agency.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the committee aims to assess the civil aviation industry as part of its efforts to create a safe and reliable aviation system.
The committee comprises several experts, including aviation management expert Rajendra Bahadur Singh, aviation security specialist Bheshraj Subedi, and air service operation and quality control management expert Captain Riwaj Prasad Pradhan. Additionally, a joint secretary from the Ministry will serve in the committee as a member-secretary.
Ramkrishna Lamichhane, the Ministry's Joint Secretary and Spokesperson, told RSS that the committee was tasked with recommending improvements to the nation's aviation sector and ensuring the safety of the Nepali sky.
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey provided the committee members with their appointment letters on Monday, October 21. The committee is expected to begin its work soon.
The formation of such a committee comes after the country has recorded more than 100 air crashes in its aviation history. More than 900 people have lost their lives in such incidents since 1955, according to CAAN.
Read: Both Regulator and Operator at Fault for Saurya Plane Crash: Preliminary Investigation Report
Two of the crashes happened this year alone. On July 24, the Bombardier CRJ 200 with a registration 9N-AME and operated by Saurya Airlines crashed on the east side of the runway, shortly after taking off, killing 18 of the 19 onboard.
It was a ferry flight to Pokhara International Airport from Tribhuvan International Airport for conducting base maintenance of the aircraft.
Two weeks after the Saurya plane crash, an Air Dynasty Helicopter crashed in the Shivapuri area of Nuwakot district on August 7, killing five people on board.
Poor safety records have tarnished Nepal’s reputation in the international aviation sector as well.
The European Union which first banned Nepali airlines from operating flights into the sky of the EU member countries in 2013, has continued the prohibition citing poor aviation safety record of Nepal.
Apart from Nepal’s difficult geography, many consider CAAN’s dual role–as a service provider and a regulator–as one of the major reasons affecting aviation safety in the country.
The European Union as well as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have long been demanding the Government of Nepal to split the CAAN into a regulator and air service provider to enhance air safety. It is also one of the preconditions set by the EU to lift the suspension imposed on Nepali airliners.
Read: Saurya Airlines Crash Causes Fear Among Residents Near Airport
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation presented the draft bill, which envisions ending CAAN’s dual role as a regulator and service provider, in the Cabinet last month.
Ram Krishna Lamichhane, spokesperson at the ministry, had told NBA last month that the draft bill was the updated version of previous bills endorsed by the National Assembly around three years ago.
Three years after the Upper House endorsed the bills and more than eight months since the parliamentary International Relations and Tourism Committee directed the government to table them in the Lower House, the bills continued to gather dust.
Read: Another Crash in Two Weeks Raises Questions about Air Safety in Nepal
The preliminary investigation report of the Saurya Airlines plane crash on July 24 also said the shortcomings of both regulator and operator were among the reasons for the crash.
However, the lawmakers have been all talk and no action when it comes to enhancing Nepal’s aviation safety, experts say.
(With inputs from RSS)
