Nepal bans wide-body aircraft at Kathmandu airport
TBN News —
Kathmandu: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has asked all international airlines to find alternatives to their wide-body aircrafts flying into the Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu.
The ban will affect Malaysia-based Air Asia, Thai Airways and Korean Air as these airlines fly wide-body aircraft to Kathmandu.
Similarly, the move to ban wide-body aircrafts will affect Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia including Turkish Airlines planning to start air service on September 2 with its wide-body aircraft.
CAAN decided to ban wide-body aircrafts flying into the Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu due to repeated occurrences of cracks on the runway of the TIA. CAAN has given a month for the airlines to find the alternative .
As a narrow-body aircraft can accommodate less than 250 passengers, international airlines will not be able to cater to passengers during September-November, the peak season of tourist arrival in Nepal.
Though the 3,048 m runway was repaired in 2010 at a cost of Rs 260 million, the runway cracks appeared at the TIA four times in 2011 and five times as of August 19 this year.
According to Dinesh Shrestha , General Manager at the TIA ,a Spanish company has been entrusted to study the runway capacity . ‘The runway problem will be fixed permanently as per their suggestions and until then TIA will impose a ban on wide-body aircraft ‘, he added.
Meanwhile, Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) issuing a press statement said,”the tour operator’s fraternity is shocked as the fresh decision taken by the CAAN to stop allowing international airlines to use wide-body aircraft on their flights to Kathmandu.”
‘This step taken on the eve of the tourist season is sure to be a big setback for the Nepali tourism industry. It will also cause damages to Nepal’s international image and set back commerce and industry to the 1970’s era.’ NATO urged the concerned authorities to find permanent solution to ensure the TIA’s continuous operation.
August 20, 2013
