Eighteen people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed while taking off from the main airport in the Nepal capital Kathmandu, once again drawing attention to the Himalayan country’s poor record on air safety.
Let’s look at why Nepal, where more than 360 people have died in plane or helicopter accidents since 2000, is particularly vulnerable.
the areas
Landlocked Nepal, sandwiched between India and China, is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, and its planes often must fly into small airports located near remote hills or cloud-shrouded peaks.
In addition to physical obstacles, the terrain can also cause sudden weather changes, affecting wind speed and intensity, making navigation difficult.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said in its 2023 safety report that collision with terrain or any other obstacle is the main risk, accounting for 93% of the deaths in air accidents in the last decade.
tabletop runway
Due to the lack of flat terrain in Nepal, many areas have tabletop runways, created by digging out peaks to create a flat surface.
These have a steep drop at one or both ends, requiring greater skill to land the aircraft, but also carrying the potential for massive injuries or death if the pilot goes overboard.
the fleet getting older
Nepal, one of the world’s poorest countries, has not invested enough in upgrading or maintaining its aircraft.
Many of these buildings are old, so they lack some of the features and amenities found elsewhere, and are also not well maintained, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
This is why the European Union banned certified airlines from operating in Nepal in 2013, citing “security concerns”.
However, in its latest safety review in 2023, the EU recognised the aviation regulator’s “active involvement” and efforts to boost oversight.
crew management and training
Experts have called for better training for pilots in Nepal, and blamed some of the accidents on poor decision-making.
In January 2023, Nepal is expected to witness the worst plane crash in three decades, killing 72 people. For example, it was attributed to the pilot accidentally cutting off the power to the plane due to lack of knowledge of standard operating procedures, causing the plane to crash.
It was the only fatal accident globally last year, bucking a years-long trend of positive safety in the Asia-Pacific region, the International Air Transport Association said in a report.
Regulation and oversight
In most countries, aviation services and regulation are handled by separate agencies, but in Nepal, the regulatory body CAAN both regulates airlines and manages airports.
Experts say this is a conflict of interest, as the regulator monitors its own operations, and leads to corruption and mismanagement.
CAAN rejected this claim, saying there was no direct link between the units operating under one organisation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
