CAAN ALSO TO BLAME FOR GROUND HANDLING

KEDAR DAHAL

KATHMANDU, April 9

Passengers landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) always complain about ground handling services being provided for years by the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). But experts claim the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is as much to blame for poor ground handling. The NAC has been facing all the blame with CAAN not even paying attention to regular repair and maintenance.

CAAN is also to blame for the problems in claiming luggage (missing and delay). It has even failed to repair a conveyor belt in the past one and half years with just two out of three currently in operation. NAC Spokesperson Ramhari Sharma complains that the NAC is unfairly blamed for all the problems even though it is only responsible for ground handling.

Over half a dozen international airlines operating flights to Nepal have complained with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation about substandard service and high fees. “CAAN takes 12 percent of the income while we struggle to even manage staff expenses,” Sharma claims.

CAAN has repeatedly tried to hand over ground handling to a competitive company citing pressure by international airlines due to substandard service provided by the NAC. Everyone at CAAN from lower level staffers to those at the top is lobbying to hand over ground handling to a private company with a year remaining in the agreement with NAC.

Sharma claims that problems from those related to toilets to luggage are created to defame the NAC that earns Rs 2 billion a year from ground handling. It, however, claims that it only makes a profit of around Rs 150 million after cutting staff and repair expenses, and fees paid to CAAN.

“Handing ground handling service is a prerogative of CAAN. Many airlines have been complaining with us but it is in the purview of CAAN,” Joint Secretary at the Ministry Suresh Acharya says. A total of 28 airlines currently operate flights to Nepal. Air India and Thai Airways, out of them do ground handling themselves.

The NAC is currently in process of appointing an international consultant to improve ground handling. It is preparing to appoint consultant as the IATA (International Air Transport Association) Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) has given a three-year deadline to upgrade its ground handling services. The NAC is also under pressure as foreign airlines will refuse to operate flights to Nepal after two years if Nepal were to fail to get ISAGO recognition. Sharma reveals that four companies including two from India, and one each from America and Germany have expressed interest for consultancy service, and the issue will be concluded within the next month.

Budget of Rs 150 billion unused for two years

The NAC’s efforts for improving ground handling have been affected with the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) stopping procurement of equipment for repair and maintenance, and vehicles for two years. The annual budget of NAC has plans for procuring passenger vehicles, luggage trays, baggage tractors and others for two years but the process has not moved forward with the CIAA keeping all the files in control citing irregularities in the bidding process two years ago.

“There has been no report of investigation until now while the files have also not been returned. This has affected even displacement of old vehicles. The NAC is blamed for substandard service but no bodies help even in basic things needed to provide quality services,” Sharma rues. There are currently five vehicles for ground handling and the majority of them are 12-year-old. Baggage tractors are also very old.