The leadership of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is to blame for the poor condition of the Nepal aviation sector, said sources from the sector after Wednesday’s accident.
A Nepalese private plane on Wednesday crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 18 people aboard, including a child, and seriously injuring the pilot – the only survivor. The Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft of Saurya Airlines was bound for Pokhara International Airport for regular maintenance service when the accident occurred at 11.11 am (local time).
According to Tribhuvan International Airport chief Jagannath Niraula, the plane flying from Kathmandu to Pokhara turned in the wrong direction. “Shortly after takeoff from runway 02, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway," said a statement issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
CAAN, CHINA HAND
“Technical glitches are common in the newly-built airports in Nepal due to quick completion of the work by the Chinese for the advantage of an individual heading the CAAN. The Pokhara airport is not ready, but was still made available for the benefit of CAAN leadership. Unnecessary flights are also diverted to the airport to show it is operational," said the source from the aviation sector.
According to sources, the earlier Pokhara crash, in which 72 people were killed, and Wednesday’s accident were due to the careless attitude of the CAAN. “Despite all efforts, seven domestic and four international flights are operating from the Pokhara airport…The government is aware that these airports are not fully operational and services are also not as quick as the Tribhuvan airport," said sources.
Meanwhile, the CAAN is pushing to build one more airport at Nijgadh. According to the government, the CAAN leadership had banned all flights to the mountains earlier during the tourist season, even as these airports are causing losses amounting to billions of dollars and creating a new debt trap for Nepal.
With PTI Inputs
Comments
0 comment