August 18: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal(CAAN) has lifted the ban on flights to remote areas.  CAAN has removed the restriction on flights to difficult terrains by implementing stringent flight safety standards.

The decision eliminates the previously imposed flight time restrictions on short takeoff and landing (STOL) airstrips located in mountainous regions across the country.

The ban on flights has been lifted with enforcement of comprehensive flight safety standards and implementation of weather appropriate flight operations, according to information officer Gyanendra Bhulaka at the CAAN. Earlier, the CAAN had decided that airlines could conduct flights to the airports in remote districts within operation hour only.

The decision had infuriated locals from Humla and they had been agitated.  After the protest, the authority was compelled to remove the ban on flights.  "Airlines will now be allowed to make flights to  remote airfields in the country from 12 noon onwards. However, they will have to implement flight safety standards,” said Bhulaka.

As per the authority's decision, during each flight, the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority will need to ensure full compliance with the "Visibility and Distance from Cloud Minima" as outlined in the Civil Aviation Regulations.  This is to ensure complete satisfaction with safety after confirming the cloud visibility and distance before each flight.

For flights from Nepalgunj Airport to short takeoff and landing in airstrips in remote districts and vice versa, the airlines will have to manage a mandatory "Flight Operations Officer" at Nepalgunj Airport.  All flight operations-related activities will be conducted by this officer.

Similarly, authority has decided to form a high level committee under Deputy Director-General of the authority to review operation time of all STOL airstrips in hilly districts and study weather availability of air routes to airports in hilly districts.