Minister Pandey calls for regional support to operate Nepal's int'l airports

KATHMANDU: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, has stressed the importance of regional cooperation for the effective operation of Pokhara Regional International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport.

Speaking at the Second Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, Minister Pandey highlighted the need for robust support from neighbouring countries to ensure the efficient functioning of these airports.

"Nepal's unique terrain and geography offer significant opportunities for research and investigation in the aviation sector," he stated. "We can establish a regional research and training centre in Nepal to collaborate and promote best practices related to Air Navigation Services (ANS), Search and Rescue, Meteorological Services, and air traffic flow management. I strongly urge ICAO and other member countries to invest in establishing a Research and Training Centre on aviation in Nepal. We will facilitate this endeavour."

Minister Pandey asserted that Nepal's international airports have been certified, and that Pokhara and Gautam Buddha international airports are now seeking regional cooperation for effective operations. He emphasised that this reflects Nepal's commitment to continuous improvements in the aviation sector.

"Nepal had committed to enhancing safety oversight capabilities to achieve a Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) effective implementation score equal to or higher than the global average by 2022. I am pleased to inform you that Nepal achieved an average of 70% during the 2022 audit," he explained.

The Tourism Minister also shared that Nepal has successfully integrated the core principles of the Global Aviation Safety Plan into the National Aviation Safety Plan. As a signatory to the Chicago Convention, Nepal has adopted its principles and is moving towards enacting new laws to establish a permanent and independent accident investigation entity.

The two-day conference, jointly organised by the Indian government and ICAO, aims to prepare a new roadmap to enhance the effectiveness of civil aviation in the Asia Pacific Region. More than 250 delegates from 41 countries are participating in the conference.

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