CAAN introduces new rules for STOL airports

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 18: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has formed a committee to review the operation period of the nation's Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airports and assess the availability of forecasts for en route weather. Issuing a notice on Thursday, the Authority informed that it had set up a high-level committee under the Deputy Director General for this.

It has also tightened existing rules for hilly and rural flights. 

Airliners wishing to fly to STOL airports beyond the specified period must assure that the weather conditions at the destination airport, air route and at the alternative airport are in line with the VMC Minima criteria fixed by CAAN. 

VMC, or Visual Meteorological Conditions, are the meteorological conditions expressed in terms of visibility, distance from cloud, and ceiling equal to or better than specified minima. VMC includes several crucial factors that determine the safety of a flight.

As per the new rules, which go into effect immediately, the pilot-in-command and the dispatcher must attest that the VMC at the destination airport, air route and at the alternative airport meet the minimum standards fixed by CAAN's Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR-2). Only then will the Authority approve such flights.

Furthermore, airline companies flying to STOL airports from Banke need to have a Flight Operation Officer (FOO) active at the Nepalgunj Airport and have them carry out all flight operation-related tasks.

According to CAAN, these rules are meant to make flying to hilly STOL airport safer and better managed, and enhance the locals' access to air transport.