The European Union (EU) has upheld its decision to retain Nepali airlines on its blacklist, contrary to optimistic assertions by high-ranking government officials regarding the ban’s imminent removal.
In the recent air safety list released by the EU’s Department for Mobility and Transport, 20 Nepali airlines, including both private carriers, helicopter companies, and Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), remain on the blacklist due to non-compliance with international safety standards.
Citing ongoing safety concerns identified during a visit to Nepal from September 11 to 15, the EU’s report acknowledged the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s efforts to enhance safety oversight. However, it underscored that the ban persists due to failure to meet stringent safety benchmarks.
Despite assertions by Minister Sudan Kirati at a public event last month, where he claimed the imminent removal of Nepali airlines from the EU blacklist based on financial improvements by NAC, the EU’s decision contradicts these expectations.
The EU has consistently urged Nepal to divide its civil aviation body into distinct entities for service provision and regulation, a prerequisite for removal from the blacklist. Nevertheless, Nepal’s government has yet to enact the necessary laws and establish appropriate bodies to meet these requirements.
Since 2013, Nepali airliners have grappled with EU air safety restrictions, albeit being removed from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s list of Serious Security Concerns in July 2017.
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