National
EU ban on Nepali airlines continues
The European Commission (EC) has decided to continue its ban on Nepali airlines through an updated “EU air safety list”, the list of non-European airlines that do not meet the international safety standards and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.The European Commission (EC) has decided to continue its ban on Nepali airlines through an updated “EU air safety list”, the list of non-European airlines that do not meet the international safety standards and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.
The EC updated its list on Thursday. In December 2013, the EC had imposed a blanket ban on all airlines from Nepal from flying into the 28-nation bloc.
The EU air safety list seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for European citizens, which is a top priority of the Commission’s Aviation Strategy, it said in a press statement. Only one airline, Avior Airlines (Venezuela), is added to the list, while two others—Mustique Airways (St Vincent and the Grenadines) and Urga (Ukraine)—are removed following safety improvements.
“Our objective is to offer the highest level of safety in European skies. The EU’s Air Safety List remains one of our most effective tools to achieve this,” the statement quoted European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc. “Today we are showing that with our help, airlines can be quickly removed from the list when they tackle their safety issues.”
On August 3, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) had sent its report on the improvements carried out in the aviation sector to the EC to urge it to lift the ban on Nepali airlines.
The EC has pointed out deficiencies in three areas—lapses in the revalidation of the air operators’ certificate, training and licensing and Caan’s institutional capacity. On July 21, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) removed the significant safety concerns (SSC) tag it had put on Nepal four years ago after assessing that Nepal’s safety standard had not improved on a par with global standards.