KATHMANDU, APRIL 1
The International Relations and Tourism Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to provide it with documents concerning the maintenance of a narrow-body aircraft within the next 15 days.
During a meeting of the Committee held in Singha Durbar today, the national flag-carrier was urged to submit a convincing reply regarding the aircraft repair.
Committee President Raj Kishore Yadav stated that the Committee is informed about alleged corruption during the repair of the aircraft's engine. In this context, the NAC should provide a substantive reply convincing the Committee that there is no corruption during the maintenance.
The NAC sent its narrow body to Israel on January 11 for repair. The plane was grounded on December 1, 2023. According to the NAC, the Israel-based MRO Company assured that the plane will arrive in Kathmandu by April 28.
During the meeting, lawmakers expressed their concerns, stating that it has been over four months since the aircraft was sent for engine repair, and the delay in its arrival has affected the NAC flight schedule. They demanded the formation of a separate committee to probe the matter.
Lawmakers Bhim Prasad Acharya, Sunita Baral, Shishir Khanal, Damodar Paudel Bairagi, Uday Shamsher JB Rana, Prem Suwal, Eknath Dhakal, Yogesh Gauchan Thakali, and Dr. Dhawal Shamsher JB Rana advised the NAC to prepare an action plan for its restructuring, to control reported irregularities within the NAC, and to make its service swift and effective.
Stating that disputes between the NAC and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) have negatively affected aviation and the entire tourism industry, they urged effective cooperation and collaboration between the two institutes to pave the way for removing Nepal's airlines from the European Union (EU)'s blacklist and enhancing the reliability of NAC services.
Minister for Culture and Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hit Bahadur Tamang, assured of action if any wrongdoing is proved on the part of the NAC. He stated that he is studying the issue.
NAC executive chair Yubaraj Adhikari said the repair of the narrow body follows the rules.
