KATHMANDU, JANUARY 5
Commercial helicopter flights to the Everest region have been suspended until further notice owing to safety concerns.
Issuing a press statement today, the Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) announced suspension of all flights to the region after locals and youth groups erected flag barriers on various helipads in the region and warned of action against crew members.
According to Pratap Jung Pandey, first vice-president of AOAN, all flights in that area have been suspended from today until helicopter safety is fully guaranteed.
Also, the short takeoff and landing (STOL) airlines flying in the area will gradually suspend their flights if there is no guarantee of safety, reads the statement, with the association apologising for the inconvenience caused to the passengers and the general public.
Flag barriers were set up on the helipads by local youth groups a few days ago, citing that they had lost all hope that Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality would control helicopter operations.
Laxman Adhikari, chairman of Ward No 4 of the rural municipality, shared that locals took the matter into their own hands and set up flag barriers after Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Pradeep Adhikari remarked that the rural municipality and the national parks had no authority to control airspace on the 26th CAAN Day.
Despite rounds of meetings held in the capital and in Lukla between the AOAN and the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality over the past month, both parties have failed to reach a consensus on operating commercial flights in the region.
Earlier, the SNP had sent letters to all 11 helicopter companies to halt all commercial operations in the region from January 1, stressing the need to ensure the protection of forests, environment, wildlife and habitats, control noise pollution, and regulate trade, business and employment management in the Khumbu region.
On December 13, the CAAN had dismissed any calls to halt commercial helicopter operations in the Khumbu region and urged all helicopter companies to continue their operations undisturbed.
Highlighting that only the federal government has exclusive authority over airspace in the country, including regulating and managing air navigation in Nepali airspace under Section 5 of the Constitution of Nepal (2015) through the Civil Aviation Act, 1959 and the Civil Aviation Authority Act, 1996, CAAN had maintained that the SNP had no authority to halt commercial air operations in the region.
In response, the rural municipality just a few days later issued rules for conducting any commercial heli operations in the region after January 1.
The rural municipality had also stated that excessive helicopter flights in the upper region beyond Lukla had caused significant adverse impacts on the SNP and its buffer zone, which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
"Such regular flights have negatively affected the forest, environment and wildlife in addition to the excessive noise pollution caused by helicopters, impacting local residents and tourists." Furthermore, the excessive helicopter flights have severely affected local businesses and employment opportunities, according to the rural municipality.
As per Adhikari, a meeting was held with the stakeholders of the heli companies last month after a mandate was received from local residents on minimising helicopter operations and safeguarding local habitats and environment. A second meeting was held in Lukla involving the representatives from the airlines, local hoteliers, SNP and the municipality on Friday.
Talks were focused on helicopter rescue, cargo flights, mountain flights and commercial flights. "All parties agreed on effectively managing rescue and sling flights. In terms of ferrying cargo for mountaineering and hotel operations, helicopter operations have been limited till Pangboche while helicopter ferrying construction materials for local infrastructures will be allowed till Lobuche and beyond," he said.
A helicopter operator conducts flights based on the requests of clients, according to Nima Nuru Sherpa, Chairman at Altitude Air. "It is not the responsibility of the helicopter company to verify whether a passenger claiming to be sick is genuine or faking it," Sherpa who is also the President of Nepal Mountaineering Association, said.
Many local lodge operators are actively selling helicopter trips, even including flight rates on their menus. "In Namche, several people have put up helicopter trip promotion boards in front of their lodges. Some have even opened a kind of hospital as a way to sell helicopter trips. This indicates that many of them are involved in fake rescue operations, an issue that has not yet been properly addressed," Sherpa pointed out.
Adhikari further shared that the rural municipality had asked the helicopter companies to operate mountain flights at a higher altitude from Lukla and Syangboche to minimise noise pollution, which was also agreed upon. However, a decision could not be made on managing commercial operations.
"Khumbu's economy relies heavily on foot traffic as most locals anticipate good business when trekkers and mountaineers make their way back down after completing their goals. But that is not the case as many opt to fly back down," he said, adding that another meeting on the topic would be held here in the coming days.
Adhikari also pointed out that the increasing heli operations in the region had negatively affected day-to-day activities of locals and tourists in the region. "As the return of foot traffic is not guaranteed with the use of helicopters, it has caused prices to spike. In addition, education and government institutions have been largely impacted by the never-ending noise pollution from helicopters. We face disturbances even if there are a few flights. Now imagine if there are over a hundred flights," he said.
He further clarified that the intention of the rural municipality was to not completely ban helicopter operations but to effectively minimise the impact on environment and local communities.
Locals also shared the same sentiments. Youth groups and local communities have also expressed dissatisfaction over excess heli operations in the region.
"Apart from emergency rescue, if any helicopter lands at a helipad or any place for commercial operation, locals will take control of the helicopter and send the pilot on foot to the heli company," a post by Amadablam Youth Group reads.
"While heli operations in the region are necessary for rescue and business operations, we also have concerns over the disturbances caused in daily activities and to the environment. Many professionals, hotels and lodges along the region depend heavily on tourism and minimising heli operations is expected to further boost their activities. In addition, wildlife have migrated beyond our borders due to excessive noise pollution from the helicopters. We must retain our wildlife resources and support the local economy, which has been the demand of locals for a long time," Aou Lhakpa Sherpa, a senior mountain guide and a local told THT.
Meanwhile, Mingma Sherpa, vice-chairman of Heli Everest, shared that the airline companies were ready to stop operations in the region in compliance with the demand of the local communities.
"Despite our pleas to allow operations in the region, which can be beneficial for the locals as well as tourists, they were rejected. Keeping in mind the demand of the locals and the need to protect our environment, we have decided to suspend all operations to Khumbu for now followed by STOL operations in the coming days as fixed wing aircraft also cause disruption and pollution," he said.
"Helicopter operations cannot sustain by operating sling flights alone and while companies can always sell their choppers to minimise their losses, it is ultimately the local communities who will be affected going forward," he added.
"We are ready to fly when they want us to but until the contentious issues are resolved, all operations will remain suspended as demanded by the local communities."
