There is no justification for banning Nepal in any part of the world: Minister Bhattarai

Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai (right) and CAAN Director General Rajan Pokhrel (left) unveiling Aviation Safety Report on November 27, 2020. Photo Courtesy: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal

Kathmandu: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has claimed that there is no justification for banning Nepal’s aviation in any of the world’s skies.

Speaking at a program organized by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to make public the Aviation Safety Report of Nepal’s airspace, Minister Bhattarai said that the justification of banning Nepal’s aviation in any sky of the world has ended. But he says some legal restructuring is still needed to lift the ban on European skies.

He said that the bill has already been discussed in the Legislative Management Committee of the National Assembly and will be tabled in the House of Representatives in the coming session. He said that the current safety report and the legal decision of organizational restructuring would lead to the lifting of any restrictions on Nepal’s aviation sector.

Minister Bhattarai also claimed that Nepal’s airports have not been closed for a single day despite the widespread infection of Covid. He said that Nepal’s aviation sector has already shown its potential to the world as the airport was not closed even though regular flights were canceled.

According to the safety report made public by CAAN, air accidents in Nepal have declined in recent years.