CAAN temporarily suspends all flights of Simrik Airlines

Kathmandu, August 20

The country’s aviation regulatory body, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), has temporarily suspended all flights of Simrik Airlines today for failing to meet the standards of the Civil Aviation Regulation 2002. According to CAAN, it has suspended all flights of Simrik Airlines after the airline company failed to meet the technical standard of airworthiness requirements under the Civil Aviation Regulation.

The inspection team of CAAN had found that the airline company was using substandard spare parts in its aircraft. Airline companies are allowed to use spare parts permitted by CAAN only. As per CAAN, the inspection team from the authority had inspected the aircraft of the airline company and its workshop on August 18 and 19. A year back too the airline firm was found to be using substandard spare parts, however CAAN had not taken any action against the firm back then and only directed it to get proper maintenance done of its aircraft. But this time, CAAN has grounded both its Beechcraft 1900 series aircraft.

“Basically we have two levels of inspection findings — level I and level II. Earlier, the aircraft was in level II, so we directed the company to do the required maintenance works. However, this time the inspection finding was at level I. Thus, the flights have been suspended,” said an official of CAAN, seeking anonymity.

Rule number 20 of Chapter 4 of the Civil Aviation Regulation has mentioned, “The Director General may issue an order to cancel the airworthiness certificate of such aircraft or to suspend it for up to the period mentioned in the same order in case an aircraft is flown in contrary to the terms and conditions mentioned in the airworthiness certificate provided to any Aircraft and the prevailing law related to Civil Aviation, these Rules, Annex and Manual.”

The aircraft will be grounded until the airline company replaces its spare parts and conducts the required maintenance of its aircraft, according to CAAN. After conducting the required maintenance, the airline company has to submit an application to CAAN requesting for resumption of its flights. Established in 2009, Sirmik Airlines has been operating domestic flights to Bhairahawa, Bharatpur and Pokhara.