A month has elapsed since the Turkish Airlines crash landed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). It's perhaps time for some introspection by the prime stakeholder, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), and others. The incident did in fact generate its fair share of media hype, not due to the technical nature of the incident per se but the accompanying chaos witnessed at TIA and the other international airports where many a hapless were stuck in pathetic conditions for over three days.
Internationally, the Turkish issue was soon obscured by the Germanwings tragedy high in the French Alps but the contrast between the two was telling, especially handling of the media and those affected. The highest echelons of the dispensation of the countries of interest, primarily France, Germany and Spain were immediately available for the needful and media conference.
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For some time now, Nepal's civil aviation has been in the news but all for the wrong reasons: Whether it is International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) raising the significant safety concern (SSC) in 2013 over the manner in which airline operating permits or certificates are issued and maintained, or the EU issuing a blanket ban on airlines within the safety oversight of CAAN. CAAN naturally stands accused of incompetence and negligence. The issues of the MA-60 aircraft and the controversy surrounding the cancellation of the NAC Airbus' inaugural flight to New Delhi have not helped the matter either.
With the CIAA having dragged the CAAN director general as an accused in the Nepal Tourism Board's corruption charges, the position lies vacant for now. Traditionally, the position of the director general of CAAN has been viewed with condescension by the ruling party and the incumbent minister. The position is merely viewed as a tool to implement their rather insular objectives—whether constructing and upgrading airports or acquisition of rather expensive equipment meant for aviation use, some of which may never be used.
Usually there are many aspirants for much coveted position that entails high-flying life at the fag-end of one's career as well as other fringe benefits that are routed to foreign destinations as hundi before being remitted back as laundered income of relatives who are usually struggling students, with no questions asked. In the past, the lucky winner in the informal auction would only be rewarded after signing numerous commitments, blissfully unaware of the unease underlying the crown, least of which is to escort the minister at the airport as he flits around. One thing is for sure. The trash emanating from the egregious violations and mistakes of the past has piled sky-high now and it would take super-human strength and commitment on part of the new director general to barely get in under control.
Very few in Nepal will realize that ICAO bestows the director general of civil aviation with the high responsibility of maintaining aviation safety within the state, and that's precisely why the director general was repeatedly dragged to the EU Brussels HQ to face grilling before being handed the airline ban. Naturally, the position entails heavy responsibility and many states, including China, have raised the protocol to that of the Minister of State so that he cannot be messed around with.
For starters, the ICAO perceives the position of the director general as an institution for nobler causes including ensuring safety, regularity, efficiency of civil aviation system and not as a mere individual for rubber-stamp use. In the case of SSC issuance by ICAO, referred above, all necessary documentation must have surely carried the director general's signature as is the practice in any Weberian office, attesting to its supposed legality. However, the ICAO auditors didn't deem it sufficient to portray Nepal's compliance with its obligations to the ICAO charter.
It must be recollected that in the aftermath of similar air safety related EU bans on the Philippines (2010) and Indonesia (2007), the Minister of Transport and the director general were summarily shown the door for omissions and commissions, for which they alone may not have been fully responsible, for the countries rank rather low in the transparency international rankings for corruption.
Presently, work is afoot under an ADB sanctioned loan to amend the CAAN Act and make it contemporary, and hopefully effective. However, the efficacy of the proposed amendment is doubtful as the position of the director general will continue to remain precarious and his tenure subject to the pleasure of the political masters and those with substantial interest. Unless the CAAN is viewed in a new light of accountability and the appointment of its director general is made by way of open competition between suitably qualified individuals and subsequent vetting by a parliamentary committee on aviation, civil aviation in Nepal will continue to be haunted by numerous ill-effects to her economy for a long-long time.
Interestingly, the recent ICAO audit of Thailand has resulted in an SSC in the area of airline certification and its government is hard pressed to minimize the anticipated damage to its airline and tourism industry. It must be noted that this has happened despite the fact that the Thais are known for their meticulous passion for quality as depicted by its upkeep of Suvarnabhumi airport as well as flag carrier the Thai Airways. ICAO norm compliance is no joke. The recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit of our southern neighbor—the Indian directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA)—in March has also raised an interesting but uncomfortable finding that it must be headed by a technocrat (an euphemism for person possessing valid technical credentials) and not a bureaucrat, as is the practice in Nepal.
For us, luckily, direct flights by Nepali air carriers to the US are rather far off and we can snooze for now. How long? Only Lord Pashupatinath knows!
The author is a Fulbright alumnus in Aviation Safety Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, US and currently with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
mukulmishra@fulbrightmail.org
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