KATHMANDU, August 9: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has taken action against two helicopter companies by grounding them due to safety violations.

This decision comes in the wake of the Air Dynasty helicopter crash on Wednesday, prompting CAAN to ground domestic airlines with safety systems below 60 percent. A senior CAAN official confirmed that two helicopter companies will be grounded on Thursday after scoring below the requisite percentage in a recent Safety Management System (SMS) assessment.

According to CAAN, Annapurna Helicopters scored 34 percent and Mustang Helicopters scored 23 percent in the SMS assessment held in 2023.

The SMS study conducted last year revealed that helicopters operated by Mustang, Annapurna, Prabhu, and other companies scored below 60 percent. According to the technician involved, these companies have continued operating flights despite their inadequate safety systems.

In response to two air crashes within a 14-day period, CAAN has intensified its focus on air safety compliance.

Over the past two years, CAAN has enforced stricter regulations for helicopter flights during the monsoon season and aimed to enhance the financial auditing of airline companies.

However, these measures have faced pushback, with pilots protesting the restrictions on monsoon helicopter flights, and members of parliament (MPs) intervening to block the enforcement of the no-fly rule after 12 PM in Karnali.