Nepal is determined to fully address aviation safety concerns and get rid of EU operational ban, said Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, chief of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) here on Wednesday in the second aviation safety campaign.

Speaking in the inauguration of the campaign jointly organized by CAAN, World Food Program (WFP) and Airlines Operator's Association in Nepal (AOAN), the chief of Nepal's aviation regulatory body admitted that inadequate hazard identification and risk management is the key factor of frequent air crashes in this Himalayan nation.

According to government statistics, Nepal in its six decades' aviation history has already witnessed about 70 air crashes, claiming the lives of more than 700 passengers. The latest one happened in February this year, killing all 18 people including a Denish citizen on board.

Mr. Suman expressed the CAAN is now in its most difficult position in the aviation history after European Union's ban on Nepal-based airlines from flying in the skies of its member countries in last December, but he still feels sufficiently confident to return a safe sky to foreign guests by taking many measures like this 5-day safety campaign including workshops covering different grounds of aviation.

While addressing about 150 audiences including the Mr. Sushil Ghimire, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Aviation, Mr. Suman said they have conducted the basic safety oversight inspector course for inspectors of all disciplines in Nepal, the first in Nepal's aviation history.

Considering Nepal's tricky weather, rugged and tough terrain and inadequate infrastructure, the workshop is expected to offer an exchange of ideas and knowledge amongst the national and international aviation experts on the realms like runway safety, threat and error management.

Macro Cavalcante, the head of Word Food Program (WFP) told Xinhua in the venue that Nepal is subjected to natural disaster, particularly monsoon. In this regard, WFP would like to have an aviation system partner that is cheap, effective and safe to help deliver humanitarian assistance to those who need it at the time of need.

According to him, as a humanitarian UN agency, WFP runs its own air operation in some most challenging parts on earth to deploy food assistance, so WFP has been organizing workshops, seminars, training and conferences worldwide in order to promote flight safety all over the world. Endi

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