CAAN still to collect dues worth Rs 2.10 billion

Kathmandu, September 24

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has given a one-month ultimatum to 195 firms at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to clear dues worth Rs 650 million. CAAN still has to collect total dues worth Rs 2.10 billion as of mid-August from different companies.

The notice issued today by CAAN seeking payments mentions the names and due amount of 195 airline, travel, tour and other companies that have not been in contact with the civil aviation regulator since long. In fact, there are some firms that have not been in contact with CAAN for over five years.

If the companies do not come in contact with CAAN within 30 days of the issuance of the notice, CAAN will take action against them as per the Airport Service Charge Regulation 2010, as mentioned in the notice.

“We don’t have any option other than issuing a notice in their names warning them to clear the dues or face legal action. The companies listed in our notice have stopped paying their dues for a long time,” said Trilochan Poudyal, information officer at CAAN. He further said that most of the companies have become non-operational and are out of contact with CAAN for a long time.

As per the notice issued today, the highest due amount is worth Rs 189 million that needs to be collected from AirAsia, a Malaysian airline company. Likewise, among the 195 companies mentioned in the notice, Necon Air has dues of Rs 47 million, Jet Airways owes Rs 35 million, Cosmic Air owes Rs 34 million and Gulf Air owes Rs 22 million.

Meanwhile, Air Sahara Jet lite still has to pay Rs 3.4 million, Bahrain Airlines Rs 2.4 million, Pakistan Airlines Rs 2.6 million, Sangrila Air Rs 1.4 million, Skyline Airways Rs 1.4 million and Fishtail Air (currently Summit Air) has outstanding dues amounting to Rs one million.

“Companies that are in operation or in regular contact with TIA or CAAN are clearing their dues gradually and have pledged to pay the full amount in due course of time,” Poudyal said. “However, we are tired of writing to the companies mentioned in the notice to clear their dues. Hence, the notice has been issued so that it would be easier for us to initiate legal action against them.”