Kathmandu, December 1 Flight delays at Tribhuvan International Airport have become common due to inadequate ground handling capability of the Nepal Airlines Corporation. NAC is the official ground handling service provider for TIA and has been issued a certificate towards that end by Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Thai Airways and Air India are comparatively less affected as they employ their own ground handling staff and equipment. “NAC’s managerial inaction and indifference has added to the incompetent CAAN management to cause daily inordinate flight delays at TIA,” a station manager for an international airlines told this daily. According to him, NAC, the sole commercial ground handling services provider for TIA, is responsible for providing necessary ground support for international operations, including provisioning for airport passenger moving bus, passenger boarding ladders, cargo loading, cleaning services and towing the aircraft. “Lack of monitoring causes the mess at TIA,” a senior pilot with the international airlines said. As per CAAN issued directives for ground handling in 2013, NAC is required to pay 10 per cent of the gross revenues from ground handling to CAAN. “The directive does not contain provisions allowing CAAN to audit the NAC for compliance. Neither, does CAAN possess expertise in the area.” While CAAN is content pocketing revenues without turning a page, it is turning a blind eye to the quality of services provided to airlines, which are at the mercy of NAC’s shabby services, another airliner said. A senior director at CAAN admitted they never monitored NAC’s performance relating to ground handling services. Though the directive requires NAC to upgrade ground services on par with standards set by International Civil Aviation Organisation and International Air Transport Association, there is little evidence of NAC’s compliance. “Whereas airport ground-handling agencies the world over are getting themselves audited under IATA’s safety audit for ground operations, NAC continues to be fixated on acquiring wide-body aircraft,” the station manager said, adding, it seemed that NAC is trying to sweep its gross incompetence in ground handling under the pretext of aircraft acquisition, while passengers and airlines continue to suffer. NAC Spokesperson Ramhari Sharma said the ground handling team was closely working with IATA experts to improve services.