Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey has emphasized the need for policy interventions to reform Nepal Airlines. Speaking at an introductory event organized to welcome newly appointed Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Chief Deepak Raj Joshi, Minister Pandey said decisive actions will be taken to overhaul the state-owned airline.
“Nepal Airlines must embark on a path of reform. I am not here just to deliver a speech, but to move forward with policy interventions. We will break the current state of stagnation and drive it towards improvement. We are committed to building a revitalized Nepal Airlines,” Pandey stated.
The minister expressed confidence that a stronger national carrier would curb the dominance of private airlines in Nepal’s aviation sector. He highlighted that once Nepal Airlines began offering services at affordable rates, air travel would become more accessible and efficient for the general public. Additionally, he underscored the need for the proper operation of the country’s costly airports, ensuring they provide accessible services to citizens.
“We must make internal flights safe and reliable while expanding air services to remote regions. There is also an urgent need to reopen airports that have been non-operational,” Pandey added.
At the event, Binayak Shah, President of the Hotel Association Nepal, stressed the importance of attracting more foreign tourists to utilize the country’s high-investment tourism infrastructure. Kumar Mani Thapaliya, President of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), advocated for expanding collaboration with the private sector to revive the tourism industry. Sonam Gyelgen Sherpa, General Secretary of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), and Narendra Bhatt, General Secretary of the Pacific Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter, both called for tourism-friendly policies to drive growth in the sector.
Ram Prasad Sapkota (Kamal), Vice Chair of the NTB Executive Committee, stated that the board would adopt new strategies to enhance promotional activities, while Senior Director Nandini Lahe Thapa expressed confidence that under the new leadership, the board’s upcoming initiatives would yield significant results.
