The United Kingdom is willing to
assist Nepal improve air safety.
A team from the UK Air Accidents
Investigation Branch (AAIB) has said that they will ask the UK government to
assist Nepal in maintaining air safety by providing technical assistance in the
most essential areas, according to joint secretary at the Ministry of Culture,
Tourism and Civil Aviation Suresh Acharya.
The team has asked the ministry
to identify the areas where the UK government can offer help, he said, adding
that the UK government can provide assistance in installing equipment and other
technical support to Nepal, if needed.
AAIB has deployed a two-member
team to assist the Nepali government in probing Friday’s crash of a Sita Air
aircraft.
The crash had killed all 19
people on board, including seven Britons. The UK government decided to deploy
its investigation officials after its citizens too were killed in the crash.
Senior inspector of Air Accidents
at AAIB Geraint Herbert and head of Group Projects at MEL Aviation Ltd Stuart
Hawkins had arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday evening to initiate the
investigation, said Acharya. “Any country can deploy its own investigation team
according to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.”
They will work with the
five-member probe team formed by the government on Friday evening.
The team from UK today visited
the crash site, mapped the site in detail, and inspected the airstrip where the
dead bird was found, according to Acharya.
Similarly, the team members also
interviewed eyewitnesses as part of their investigation, he informed.
Meanwhile, alarmed by frequent
plane crashes in Nepal, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has
said that it will form a separate and permanent body to investigate aviation
accidents.
The ministry has also decided to
form a high-level aviation safety agency to enhance aviation safety. It has
also decided to give priority to developing aviation safety infrastructure.
“The ministry will revise the
existing Aviation Safety Policy and recommend the government to waive customs
duties while importing airplanes and accessories,” said Acharya.
Urging all airliners to ensure
quality and flight safety measures, the ministry has directed the Civil
Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to monitor and supervise all operational functions
with special concern on technical document update.
