CAAN directed to act proactively to remove Nepali airlines companies from EU’s blacklist

KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 31: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati has directed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to make proactive efforts to remove Nepali airline companies from the blacklist of the European Union (EU).

Addressing a programme organized on Sunday on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of CAAN, he came up with such a direction.

The minister also said that the Nijgadh International Airport would be developed in the public-private partnership framework and asked the officials to work considering the government policy and target for tourism promotion and development.

Speaking on the same occasion, Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Dipak Kalfe, said that the CAAN should meet its targets by firmly implementing the annual policy and programmes.

Similarly, CAAN Director General Pradip Adhikari said that the CAAN was making the best possible efforts for the country’s aviation safety.

The EU has been blacklisting  Nepali airlines by barring them from flying into the 28 nations belonging to the regional bloc since 2013  due to significant aviation security concerns. However, it was removed from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s list of Serious Security Concerns (SSC) in July 2017.

An Aviation Safety Report-2020 made public by the CAAN on November 27 showed a decreasing air incident rate. The adoption of modern safety systems in air safety and efficiency enhancement of the aviation workforce is attributed to it.

On the occasion, Nepal’s first Air Traffic Controller Narayan Bahadur Singh was honoured posthumously while this year’s ‘CAAN Service Prize’ of Rs 100,000 was provided to Director Raju Shrestha.