Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has halted Thai Smile Airways, a sister company of Thai Airways, from conducting self-ground handling services as per the directive issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
TIA has also temporarily suspended the self-ground handling services authorised to Thai Airways, the first international airlines to connect Nepal with the rest of the world since December 1968. Recently, Thai Smile Airways was found conducting and providing unauthorised selfground handling services, including maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). As per its rules, CAAN has allowed self-ground handling services at TIA to Thai Airways and Air India and created provisions for other airline companies to receive permission for self-ground handling services if they conduct 35 flights a week. However, Thai Smile Airways had not fulfilled the set criteria, and was not permitted to use the self-ground handling services provided to Thai Airways, which had suspended its flights on March 21, 2020, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. In the initial days, Thai Airways was permitted to conduct selfground handling services at TIA as Nepal Airlines had few skilled manpower and technical equipment. Thai Smile Airways had initially sought permission from CAAN to provide the services after starting operations to and from Kathmandu in June 2022.
Thai Airways had kept its ground handling equipment at TIA despite not conducting operations since 2022. In June 2022, Thai Smile Airways started conducting seven flights a week to Nepal under the same frequency and flight number used by Thai Airways after paying the arrears of its parent company. Thai Airways had requested CAAN to allow Thai Smile Airways to use the self-ground handling services authorised to it. But CAAN rejected Thai Airways' request as per the Ground Handling Service Directive-2016. Gyanendra Bhul, information officer for CAAN, said Thai Smile Airways cannot use the permission given to its parent company, thus TIA was told to halt the self-ground handling services conducted by Thai Smile Airways.
As per the rules, only commercial handling agencies and companies are authorised to provide MRO services, and they must have an identification permit from the civil aviation authority of their respective country to provide such services.
In this case, Thai Smile Airways did not meet the criteria set by the international rules. Bhul, however, said Thai Airways could be allowed to continue with its self-ground handling services after resuming regular operations in the country. One question is, why has it taken such a long time to find out the illegal activities of an unauthorised airline company? The issue came to light recently after aircraft engineers of Thai Airways were found to be working on an aircraft of another airline company. It shows the total carelessness on the part of the concerned government agencies responsible for ground handling at the busy TIA. This could be one of the main reasons that TIA General Manager Prem Nath Thakur was suspended after an audio clip of conversation between Thakur and a representative of Thai Smile Airways was made public. Thakur must face legal action should he be found guilty of working in favour of the unauthorised airline company.
The officials who allowed Thai Smile Airways to conduct MRO must be punished
A version of this article appears in the print on February 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
