Nepal urges EU to lift ‘air safety list’ after being banned for nine years

Stating that the European Aviation Agency has made no change in Nepal’s air safety status in the last nine years, Nepal has has called on the European Union (EU) to remove Nepal from its ‘air safety list’. 

European Commission has been putting ban on Nepali airlines from flying into the 28-nation bloc of the European Union for the last nine years.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Prem Bahadur Ale during a meeting with EU Delegation Ambassador for Nepal Nona Deprez today, raised the issue. Minister Ale assured Deprez about Nepal's best effort to get removed from the list and to further improve its air service and was fully committed to air safety. 

He also apprised the EU representative about Nepal’s willingness to cooperate with EC for the promotion of culture and tourism sectors. 

In response, the Ambassador assured to call an EU technical team to assess the situation of Nepal’s air safety. 

Stating that the EU was assisting Nepal to strengthen its air safety, the Ambassador pledged to continue such support in the future, too. She also urged Nepal to ensure the establishment of different bodies to regulate the aviation sector and to provide the air service. The Ambassador also applauded Nepal’s progress in the air safety issues. “Nepal makes good progress in air safety and I am positive towards the request to remove it from the list.” 

A total of 96 airlines including 20 air carriers certified in Nepal are banned from EU skies stating that all Nepali airlines do not meet international safety standards. 

The EC blacklisted Nepal for the first time in 2013 after the International Civil Aviation Organisation raised significant safety concerns.