Urgent Steps Needed To Ensure Air Safety

Even as Nepal holds immense potential for tourism growth, the tourism sector has been grappling with numerous problems in the absence of desired initiatives. Despite this, the country was able to play host to more than one million international tourists in 2023. Inspired by such a notable revival in visitor arrivals after COVID-19, the federal government has aimed at attracting 1.6 million foreign tourists this year. During the first seven months this year, the nation has lured a total of 647,615 foreign travellers. This figure represents a bit more than 21 per cent rise as compared to the data of the same period last year. The country is expected to witness around the same number of tourists in the upcoming autumn as it is considered a peak tourist season. 

A lot tourists visit the nation that is home to a myriad of scenic places and cultural heritages. However, this year’s target is unlikely to be realised in view of a recent air crash in Kathmandu and the absence of the leadership at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).   A negative message about Nepal, as a tourist destination, has spread internationally because of the recent crash of a Saurya Airlines plane at the Kathmandu International Airport (TIA). Eighteen persons on board the Pokhara-bound flight were killed. The ill-fated aircraft was being flown to Pokhara for a C-check. However, the pilot was fortunate enough to survive. The accident that took place seconds after the take-off has questioned the nation’s air safety measures. 

Horrifying plane crash

This was another horrifying plane crash in the country following the Yeti Airlines plane accident in Pokhara in January 2023. All the 72 persons on board the Yeti Airlines flight, including passengers and crew members, had lost their lives in the crash. That accident is regarded as the country’s biggest domestic flight accident in her over seven-decade aviation history in terms of human casualties. Although the country’s aviation regulatory and service providing body — Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) — often claims that it has made every effort possible to ensure air safety, frequent accidents prove that its endeavours have remained inadequate. The airlines companies also need to be very serious about complying with safety protocols to prevent crashes. Such accidents have shown that the Nepali sky is not safe. 

Thus, the frequent air crashes have tainted our aviation sector’s reputation among domestic as well as international travellers. When any nation’s air service is not up to the mark when it comes to safety, it can have a direct bearing on the growth of the tourism industry.  Suspecting lapses associated with air safety, the European Union (EU) has put a ban on Nepali airlines from flying into the European sky since December 2013. Even though efforts are under way to free Nepali airlines from the 27-nation bloc’s blacklisting, the recurrent crashes in the nation have justified its move. Instead of being reactive unnecessarily, the CAAN’s leadership must work towards making a tangible improvement in air safety.  

It is just like a ritual on the part of the government to constitute an investigation panel following any air accident. It has formed a commission to probe into the crash immediately after the fresh air accident. As the commission has already begun carrying out its responsibility, it will submit its report with the findings to the government within the stipulated timeframe. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) possesses as many reports as the numbers of air crashes that have happened in the country. No doubt, those reports have pointed out grave issues and concerns to be addressed in order to revamp the aviation safety. 

But, what is mocking is that the documents available in the ministry’s shelves have gathered dust. Since the reports have not been implemented accordingly, the air safety situation has not improved. The recurring crashes have clearly indicated this. The government needs to take the issues related the aviation safety seriously and step up necessary measures. It must not delay in restructuring the CAAN if it is essential to ensure air safety. The CAAN also must make airlines follow all the safety standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and deal with concerns shown by the EU.

Unnecessary interference

Unnecessary political interference with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and its mismanagement is another factor to hit the country’s tourism industry hard. Being the national tourism organisation, the NTB has been entrusted with the responsibility of promoting and marketing the country’s unparalleled tourism resources internationally. But this important body has remained paralysed for years. Because of its huge resources, NTB has become a major political playground, with political parties struggling to get their close persons appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board of Directors. Competent persons are often found sidelined as they are reluctant to seek political favour. So, political activists and other dishonest persons get most opportunities. 

As the process of selecting the chief executive at the NTB has delayed, the organisation has failed to prepare its annual programme and budget for the current fiscal year. Without introducing its budget, the public-private partnership body cannot launch any tourism promotion programme. This may affect the government’s ambitious target of welcoming 1.6 million international tourists to the country this year. So, the government must tackle such problems and work towards ensuring good governance in tourism-related as well as other public organisations. 

(The author is a former deputy executive editor of this daily.)