The International Relations and Tourism Committee of the Parliament has instructed the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation to submit the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) report within a week.
At a meeting held today at Singha Durbar, the committee decided to direct the Tourism Minister to present the report within the stipulated time frame. Committee Chairman Raj Kishore Yadav emphasized the urgency, stating that despite previous requests for the ICAO report through official letters, it has yet to be received. He urged the ministry to ensure the report is submitted on time to avoid the need for further correspondence.
The committee also directed the Ministry of Tourism to provide an update on the bill related to the division of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Chairman Yadav mentioned that if the ministry’s initiative alone is insufficient to advance the bill, the committee will proactively engage with the Prime Minister to move it forward. “The status and progress of the bill concerning the division of the authority must be reported in the next meeting,” he said.
Despite acknowledging the ministry’s work over the past one and a half years, Chairman Yadav stressed the need for tangible results. Most committee members have called for advancing the bill to enhance the country’s aviation safety.
The “Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Bill-2076” was registered in the National Assembly by then-Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai on February 23, 2020. The bill aims to separate CAAN into two distinct entities: one for regulation and the other for service provision. Although passed by the National Assembly on August 2, 2021, the bill became inactive after the House of Representatives’ term ended on September 17, 2021.
The committee also directed CAAN to provide a detailed update on the progress made regarding Nepal’s status on the European Union (EU) safety list and the expected timeline for Nepal’s removal from the list.
Additionally, the committee instructed the ministry to address issues such as breaking Korean Air’s monopoly, providing information on Nepal Airlines’ flights to Korea, and submitting a report on the Yeti Airlines crash. Documents related to the lease of shops at Tribhuvan International Airport must also be submitted to the committee within a week.
