Nepal Airlines has barred Captain Vijay Lama from flying for violating Flight Operations Requirements, following a direction from the Flight Safety Standard Department (FSSD) of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

A complaint was filed at the department against Lama after he gave an interview inside the cockpit while in flight in violation of Flight Operations Requirements (Aeroplane) clause 4.14.

The clause states: “No Flight Crew member or Cabin Crew member shall be permitted to use any portable or fixed devices for the purpose of photography or videography unless permitted by the Director General, CAAN. This shall include the occupant of the jump seat.

Gyanendra Bhul, Deputy Manager at the Flight Permission Section, informed that CAAN’s Babarmahal office and Sinamangal-based FSSD have been notified of the decision to ground Lama from Sunday.

“Pilot Lama has been grounded following a complaint that he was a part of a video during an ongoing flight which is against the FOR clause,” said Bhul.

Lama had participated in an in-flight interview with a vlogger, a foreign national, while flying from Dubai to Kathmandu without the permission of the Director General of CAAN.