“Due to deadly air crashes in recent times, many clients confide of having second thought about their planned expeditions,” said Tika Gurung, chairman of Bochi Bochi Trek. “Some of my clients dropped their expedition plans for this autumn season fearing flight safety,” he added. [break]
Their fear is not entirely unreasonable.
In the autumn climbing season of 2010, a total of 16 people associated directly with the trekking and climbing sectors have died in air crashes. The casualties related to climbing alone for the season stood at seven, including two deaths of rescuers.
“Climbing has become safer due to better skills of climbing manpower,” says Ang Tshering Sherpa, founder chairman of Asian Trekking, and former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association. But the same cannot be said about flight safety, argues Bikram Neupane, chairperson of Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), a non-profit organization that seeks to reduce casualties on the Himalayas.
Climbing related casualties have been quite low in the past decade compared to what it used to be before.
According to the Mountaineering Division at the Ministry of Tourism, climbing casualties for the years 2000 to 2008 stood at four, two, two, five, one, 11, 16, nine and six respectively. While the division does not have figures for 2009, the total climbing casualty figure for 2010, including the spring season, stands at 13. The total climbing casualties for this decade stands at 69.
By contrast, 68 people have lost their lives in air crashes along mountainous and hilly routes since 2006.
Mountains safer
Contrary to the rapidly spreading belief that the mountains have become more dangerous due to the impacts of climate change, the avalanches that have occured on Nepal´s mountains in recent years are small, both in magnitude and deaths, compared to the past.
In 1995, 26 people, including 13 Japanese, were killed after a huge avalanche buried them while they were asleep at the Mt. Everest base camp, according to a Reuters dispatch filed after the tragedy. On October 20, 2005, a massive avalanche on Mt Kanguru in central Nepal killed 18 people, according to HRA that was involved in rescue and recovery effort. And in 1972, an avalanche along the slopes of Mt Manaslu killed 14 mountaineers, mostly Koreans, according to Reuters.
HRA´s Neupane opines that overcrowding of airstrips has partly contributed to making flights to popular climbing destinations hazardous. “Lukla airstrip is overcrowded. People stopped using the Phaplu and even the Jiri route during the insurgency,” Neupane said. “When everyone heading for the Mt Everest region opt for the Lukla route, there is bound to be competition and a tendency to overlook some flight safety measures,” he added.
Two of the biggest crashes in the past three years are connected to the Lukla airstrip. In October 2008, a Yeti Airlines aircraft crashed on the airstrip killing all 18 on board. And in August this year, an Agni Air turboprop that had left Kathmandu for Lukla crashed in Makwanpur district after being diverted following poor weather in Lukla. The crash cost 14 lives.
Measures to make flying safer
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) says it is mindful of the damages that the recent crashes have caused to the image of flight safety in Nepal. “Air is still the safest mode of transport. But accidents have happened. We are tightening safety measures,” said Ram Prasad Neupane, director general of CAAN.
“Airline operators are conscious of their image and credibility. We will take additional precautions. But bear in mind that accidents do occur even in countries that have sophisticated equipment and safety measures,” he added.
To ease flight pressure at Lukla airstrip, CAAN has decided to promote the Phaplu airport in Solukhumbu, Neupane said. “Phaplu has better visibility and weather, generally,” he added.
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