Nepalese safety efforts not yet sufficient to lift European blacklisting

European regulators remain dissatisfied with Nepalese authorities’ efforts to bring the country’s civil aviation safety and oversight into line with international standards, following an on-site assessment conducted in September. Nepal has been the subject of a blanket blacklisting by the EC for a decade. While the on-site assessment – carried out by the Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency – was intended to explore whether the restriction could be eased, air safety specialists have disclosed multiple issues which are yet to be resolved. The assessment covered not only the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal but also flag-carrier Nepal Airlines and regional operator Shree Airlines. According to the Commission, the assessment of the CAAN found “discrepancies” between the approved organisational structure and the actual distribution of sections and personnel, and revision is “critical” to ensure “robust” oversight. Practices in personnel licensing and flight-examiner systems show “non-compliance” with international standards, it says, and there is an “absence” of a “robust framework” for designating and monitoring flight examiners and instructors – particularly in helicopter operations. There are also “significant gaps” in the flight operations division, it adds, notably regarding fatigue oversight in relation to duty-period limitation as well as compliance checks during approval processes. “These failures indicate an urgent need for CAAN to implement robust fatigue-management protocols and strengthen their technical evaluation and approval processes,” says the Commission.<br/>