EC experts arriving today to assess onsite six air carriers safety measures

A six-member European Commission (EC) delegation is arriving Nepal today to study the documentation system of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and look into domestic air carriers' safety measures.

The team will conduct safety assessments of six domestic air carriers – Nepal Airlines Corporation, Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Tara Air, Sita Air and Shree Airlines – for five days on February 3-8.

After onsite safety assessment, the team will prepare a report and submit it to the meeting of EC's Air Safety Committee – in Brussels in April – that will decide whether or not to lift the ban on Nepali airlines from flying to European skies that the EC imposed on December 5, 2013.

The team will also reevaluate CAAN's documentation and progresses made so far on airworthiness and examine the improvements of personnel licensing mechanism of CAAN to ensure safety of passengers and aircraft.

Earlier, International Civil Aviation Organisation's Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) had pointed out several safety issues and raised questions regarding implementation of new guideline for providing Air Operators' Certificate (AOC) to new airlines and extending AOC for existing airlines.