Nepal bans import of European helicopters, citing safety concerns

KATHMANDU: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has imposed a ban on the import of European helicopters, citing safety concerns in Nepal’s airspace. The authority stated that a majority of helicopter accidents in the country involved Airbus helicopters, leading to the decision.

Mountain Air had already opened a Letter of Credit (LC) for a helicopter from China, but CAAN halted its import. “European helicopters are not suitable for Nepal’s geography, which is why we have banned their import,” said CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul. “Airbus helicopters have 1,600 horsepower, which has not proven effective for Nepal’s terrain.”

Most helicopters operating in Nepal are from Airbus, while only a few companies, including Simrik, operate helicopters from Bell.

According to Bhul, Airbus has primarily used Nepal as a testing ground. “Passenger safety is our top priority, but European companies have treated Nepal as an experimental site,” he said. “We will now allow the import of helicopters from other manufacturers with 3,000 horsepower.”

CAAN has also banned maintenance and repair operations (MRO) from European companies. Sources indicate that Nepal Airlines Corporation faced repeated maintenance issues, prompting restrictions on European MRO services.

Additionally, CAAN is preparing to ban the import of ATR aircraft within a few days. Currently, Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines operate ATR aircraft for domestic flights.

Why Was the Ban Imposed?

According to high-level sources, the ban on European helicopters is a countermeasure after the European Union (EU) refused to remove Nepal from its aviation blacklist despite improvements in all safety indicators.

“We made significant safety improvements to get off the blacklist, but the EU ignored them,” a source said. “Their aircraft failed technically in Nepal’s terrain, yet they kept us on the blacklist, forcing us to make this decision.”

The decision is expected to benefit American manufacturer Bell, whose helicopters have a power capacity of 3,000 horsepower. Meanwhile, Yeti Airlines and Buddha Air currently operate ATR aircraft, with Yeti flying seven ATR 72-500 series aircraft and Buddha Air operating 16 ATR 72-500 and two ATR 42-320 series aircraft.

ATR, the aircraft manufacturing company, was established with investments from Airbus and Alenia Aermacchi. The company produces ATR-72 aircraft with a seating capacity of 70 and ATR-42 aircraft with 50 seats, mainly for regional flights.

Shree Airlines currently operates 11 Bombardier jets, including the CRJ and Q400 turboprop models. Among Nepal’s 32 commercial helicopters, the majority belong to Airbus, specifically the H125 series.

Air Accidents in Nepal

Historically, most air accidents in Nepal have involved Beechcraft and ATR aircraft, along with Airbus helicopters. CAAN believes these aircraft and helicopters are technically inadequate for Nepal’s challenging geography.

“Operating single-engine aircraft in Nepal’s complex terrain is difficult. Flying such aircraft in Simara, Bharatpur, and Tumlingtar has been particularly challenging,” said CAAN spokesperson Bhul.

The EU blacklisted Nepal after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) flagged significant safety concerns on December 5, 2013. Despite continuous improvements in Nepal’s safety oversight system, the EU has refused to lift the ban. In 2017, Nepal improved its safety rating from 55% to 67.76%, but the EU did not revise its decision.

CAAN’s repeated efforts to remove Nepal from the blacklist have failed. The EU has even suggested that Nepal restructure CAAN as a condition for delisting. In response, the Nepalese government has already tabled a bill in Parliament to split the regulatory body.