January 27: Airbus Helicopters and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) held a two-day aviation safety symposium in Kathmandu on January 24-25. A statement issued by the organisers stated that the symposium covered global best practices and risk mitigation in what is seen as an operationally challenging market.
Held under the aegis of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the symposium focused on helicopter operations, brought together experts from Airbus Helicopters and EASA, customers and industry specialists to discuss ways to further boost aviation safety in Nepal.
“Helicopter operation in Nepal is probably one of the toughest operations in the world due to multiple challenges posed by higher elevation, inhospitable terrain and difficult weather conditions,” the statement quoted Sanjiv Gautam, director general of CAAN, as saying.
“This effort of Airbus and EASA is really appreciated by us and we look forward to receiving such safety workshops in the coming days.”
According to the statement, the symposium covered a broad range of subjects, including safety management systems, pre-flight risk assessment, risk mitigation, and root cause analysis of incidents. The participants discussed case studies on operational safety and also took part in a workshop on helicopter incident prevention conducted by Airbus Helicopters and EASA specialists.
“Airbus is the market leader in civil helicopters in Nepal. As a company, we are committed to the culture of ‘safety first’, and this symposium is a demonstration of how we support our markets and customers with our global expertise on safety topics,” said Anand E Stanley, president and managing director of Airbus India and South Asia.
Airbus said it accounts for 63 percent of Nepal’s helicopter market. At present, 27 Airbus Ecureuil helicopters are operating in the country. In keeping with its commitment to promoting safety in all its operations, Airbus Helicopters has been conducting safety road shows around the world. This safety symposium was the second to be organised by Airbus in Nepal since the first one in 2016.
“Our experts shared their experiences, insights and global best practices aimed at augmenting the safety mindset, which is so essential for smooth operations,” said Ashish Saraf, head of Airbus Helicopters, India and South Asia. “We thank CAAN for supporting us in organising this symposium.”
