CAAN enforces new rules for aviation safety reforms

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has come up with six-point decisions to enhance aviation safety reforms.

CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula shared that a decision was made to enforce new rules to make the aviation service further safe, reliable, dignified, and disciplined.

He further said CAAN took the initiative to improve the professional responsibility and accountability of air service providers in their service delivery.

The spokesperson further noted that the six-point decision would be strictly implemented as a commitment to make aviation safety further effective.

As per the new measure, CAAN has reduced the pilot's duty time by one hour. Likewise, the existing arrangement of allowing a pilot to fly 10 hours and make 10 landings a day has been reduced to eight hours and eight times.

In the case of pilots flying planes on short runways, the existing duty has been reduced to seven from eight hours a day. Likewise, in the case of the pilots operating flights on long runways, the nine-hour duty limit has been slashed to eight hours.

According to the CAAN, all aircraft excluding helicopters should compulsorily keep at least 500 feet above the surface during short take-off and landing (STOL) and at least 1000 feet above the ground inaccessible areas while approaching under the visual flight rule (VFR).

From the coming summer schedule, 2023, all aircraft apart from STOL aircraft (twinetor 410 and Donnier) operating flights in the controlled aerodrome are allowed to make instrument flight rule service.

Similarly, CAAN has enforced a mandatory rule of proficiency check skill test from the concerned aircraft manufacturing companies or the recommended agency before the main pilot carries out the proficiency check test of another pilot.

Likewise, the existing arrangement of extended-hour flight operation by keeping more than two crew members has been put off until another arrangement.

In a press statement issued by CAAN Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul, the STOL flight time limit has been decreased to seven hours from eight, and the time limit of non-STOL flights has been reduced to eight from the existing nine hours. Likewise, the existing 10 hours of landing and take-off has been reduced to eight hours, the statement added. ---