Kathmandu, December 4 The Helicopter Society of Nepal (HSoN), which was established in October with an aim to provide standardised, reliable and accident-free aviation service, was formally inaugurated in the Capital today. On the occasion, Captain Rameshwor Thapa of Simrik Air who has been elected as chairman of HSoN, said that the organisation will help the government build helipads at all the local levels if the government wishes to do so by providing technical assistance. “Helicopters have been an important mode of transportation in Nepal for many years especially in times of natural disasters for rescue operations,” he said, adding that helicopters have also become an integral part of the tourism sector. “Now that we have formed an organisation we will be able to better coordinate among stakeholders and provide more effective and efficient services.” During the inauguration, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari, said that the government does have plans to construct helipads at the local levels and expected HSoN to provide the necessary support. He also took the opportunity to mention that the government is formulating plans to expand Nepal Airlines Corporation’s service in the international market. Minister Adhikari also mentioned that the government will soon hold talks with the European Union to remove Nepal’s aviation sector from the EU’s safety list. Meanwhile, HSoN has elected Ang Tshering Sherpa, managing director of Yeti Airlines and chairperson of Air Dynasty and Satish Prasad Pradhan, executive chairperson of Manang Air, as vice-chairpersons of the organisation. Similarly, Yograj Kandel, CEO of Heli Everest, has been appointed as general secretary and Pratap Jung Pandey, managing director of Kailash Helicopter, as treasurer. Also, Binod Thakali of Prabhu Helicopter, Anil Manandhar of Shree Airlines and Nimaniru Sherpa of Altitude Air have been elected as members. During the programme HSoN also felicitated nine persons who have made a significant contribution in the helicopter sector as captains, pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers.