Government asks CAAN to work on improving aviation safety standards

The government has directed Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to work on improving air safety standard.

Marking the International Civil Aviation Day 2013, a day after the EC's ban of Nepali aircraft flying to Europe – though not a single Nepali airlines flies to Europe currently – the minister for tourism and civil aviation Tek Bahadur Thapa Gharti today, also committed that it will make gradual progress in ensuring compliance of aviation safety standards.

"Safety, security and sustainability are the three key challenges for civil aviation," he said, directing the CAAN to ensure air safety standard, and develop civil aviation system in line with the international standards.

CAAN is the authority that is responsible for improving country's safety standard that will help European Union (EU) to lift the ban. He also asked the EC to remove the ban.

The current EU safety list covers 21 countries and some 295 airlines – Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mozambique, Nepal, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia.

With the theme 'Evolving to Meet the Challenges of 21st Century Air Transport',  International Civil Aviation Day is marked across the globe today commemorating the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on December 7, 1944.

Though, the authorities claimed that they have identified weakness of the Nepali sky and planning to improve it within six months, the EC has a day ago banned Nepali aircraft flying to European cities.

CAAN on the occasion, claimed that the ban will be lifted within six months as they have started improvement of air safety.

However, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is helping the government install radar that will be operational from mid-2015. Mashahi Ogawa, ambassador of Japan to Nepal said that the modern radar will help to control air traffic,” said Ogawa, on the occasion.