Why is there only one option for emergency landing in Nepal?

ITAHARI: OCT. 3 – Officials said that the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu is currently the only place with all the necessary infrastructure for an emergency landing in case of any technical problem in the aircraft.

However, the Civil Aviation Authority has stated that such an arrangement will be made available at the Pokhara and Bhairahawa Regional International Airports, which are said to be in the final stages of construction.

The two planes that flew to Biratnagar and Pokhara on Monday returned to Kathmandu and landed at Tribhuvan International Airport after seeing technical problems. Arrangements were made at the Tribhuvan Airport for the landing of one of them.

According to sources, the recent incident has shown that the emergency situation has become a major problem on the air route, which is said to be the only reliable alternative to the land route.

‘Even under normal circumstances, all over Kathmandu’

It takes an average of 40 minutes to reach Biratnagar Airport by air from the capital Kathmandu. Last week, a Buddha Air flight took a few turns in the sky and had to return to Kathmandu. The plane landed in Kathmandu only after making a few more turns to reduce fuel.

The pilot of the plane has decided to return to Kathmandu as Biratnagar does not have all the necessary infrastructure for an emergency landing.

Officials admit that not only Biratnagar but also other airports in the country lack infrastructure for emergency landings.

So far, an emergency landing facility with foam is available at Tribhuvan International Airport. That is the reason why the ship comes to Kathmandu by diverting from other places, ”said Raj Kumar Chhetri, Acting Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority.

“Fire vehicle facilities are available at many airports in the Terai. There are also small fire vehicles in the hills at Lukla, Rara and Simikot. But since Kathmandu has all the resources, everyone chooses Kathmandu.

Of the 54 airports in Nepal, 34 are currently in operation.

According to Buddhisagar Lamichhane, Chief Joint Secretary of the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, they are in the process of expanding the infrastructure accordingly.

As there is only one international airport in Nepal, such infrastructure is limited to one place, he said.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) international standards, airports must meet the minimum standards required for an emergency landing at any international airport according to the maximum capacity of a large aircraft flying there.

Officials argue that there are many domestic airports in Nepal at present, large ships have not entered Nepal for a long time and the number of aircraft has not been high in the past.

Why an emergency landing?

According to Lamichhane, the emergency landing may have to be done in case of hijacking. But in this case, the plane is not technically unsafe.

“It’s a different kind of emergency. This includes national security, international and other security issues, ”said Lamichhane. But the side of the flight problem is different.

Even in the event of a technical problem on the plane, an emergency landing is required. Problems such as non-opening of the landing gear, inability to withstand the friction of a fast-moving aircraft, problems with the fuel tank, and fire in the wing are considered technical emergencies.

And in such a situation, there is only one option for Nepal. Apart from these, many other problems can be seen on the plane. In some cases, the plane has to make an emergency landing due to adverse weather.

What happens if the plane cannot return to Kathmandu?

The government says that even though the infrastructure is not complete, some of the larger airports have the normal infrastructure. However, Lamichhane said that if the plane could not return to Kathmandu, it would have no choice but to land at the available airport.

He said the plane could be taken to Indian airports and landed as long as there was an emergency. “We have an international convention. In such an emergency situation, in terms of flight safety and the safety of the passengers’ livelihood, India has become one of the countries with which we have regular contact flights. ”

“Emergency landings can be made even in countries where this is not the case.” “Emergency landings can be made by taking them to a well-equipped airport near India.”

-BBC (Nepali)