Kathmandu: The European Union (EU) has communicated to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) that it will continue its ban on Nepali airlines' services. The EU, in a letter sent on Wednesday, stated that its airspace remains closed to Nepali aircraft, extending a ban that has persisted for the past decade.

CAAN Director General Pradeep Adhikari, addressing a press conference on Thursday, shared that the ban on Nepali aircraft has not been lifted based on the report released by the EU technical team. The team conducted an on-site study and status assessment of CAAN, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), and Shree Airlines in Nepal.

The report identified institutional weaknesses in the Nepal Airlines Corporation and recommended comprehensive reforms in leadership, procedures, and the overall system of the corporation. The NAC faced allegations of non-compliance with the Safety Management System (SMS), failure to address deficiencies highlighted by CAAN's annual audit, inadequate improvement in the quality of the inspection list, serious issues with flight timing certainty, mismanagement of flight documents, and non-implementation of recommendations.

While the report appreciated the Nepal government's efforts to be removed from the EU blacklist, it urged political leadership to play a constructive role in addressing the identified shortcomings. The EU expressed its commitment to providing continuous assistance and support to enhance Nepal's air safety standards.