KATHMANDU, MARCH 10
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has expressed serious concerns over an aviation safety breach by Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) in Guangzhou, China.
CAAN has sent an inspection team from its Flight Safety Standard Department to NAC today to obtain details of the incident that took place at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport last month.
On February 6, a Nepal Airlines flight bound for Kathmandu, commanded by Senior Captain Uddhav Ghimire, reportedly breached aviation safety rules at the Chinese airport.
Sources said FSSD has also sought a clear, written explanation of the incident after NAC officials failed to share any details with the inspection team. Sources further claimed that NAC is trying to hide the incident. The FSSD also directed the NAC to investigate the incident thoroughly saying that it raised serious questions about the flight safety standards of Nepal Airlines.
Earlier, NAC had failed to share the details as requested by China's aviation authority, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The CAAC formally wrote to NAC detailing a ground mishap at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and requested flight operation information related to navigation errors in the takeoff area. The authority also questioned the pilots' decision-making process.
However, NAC not only failed to provide the necessary information within a week but also declined a meeting proposed by the CAAC for March 10, citing its busy schedule due to the election period in Nepal.
Following NAC's failure to address these critical safety concerns, the CAAC issued a second warning to the corporation for its continued inaction.
