By Blair Glencorse and Narayan Adhikari
Here in Kathmandu, Nepalis are spending the day mourning the tragic Yeti Airlines plane crash yesterday, which killed 72 people. This was the 67th plane crash in 60 years in this country- surely the worst track record for air safety in the world, taking into account the number of flights on a daily basis. While the immediate reason for the crash is as yet unclear, the deeper underlying cause has been obvious for decades.
Aviation in Nepal is beset with deep-set corruption and mismanagement. Since the 1990s, graft within the sector has brought down a Prime Minister, led to frequent charges of embezzlement and led to incomplete infrastructure and development projects. The government wants to keep tight control, so the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) serves both as the service provider and regulator for the sector. This system allows the Director General of CAAN to issue tenders, put in place regulations and oversee compliance- a clear conflict of interest. It is this, among other issues, that has led the EU to ban Nepali airlines from flying to Europe. The CAAN has consistently misused its authority to promote narrow business interests; and political parties have provided protection for airlines that do not meet safety and operating standards. For example, the group that owns the plane that went down yesterday- and many others that have crashed in recent years- and which has not put in place necessary safety reforms, has close links to a former Prime Minister.
Nepal’s airline industry is plagued from top-to-bottom with issues. Many airports do not comply with relatively straight-forward international standards, for fencing, parking and emergency vehicles for example; and aircraft and airports often lack basic technology. At the same time, pressure on airlines to operate more and more flights has increased as kickbacks within public infrastructure have led to sub-standard roads.
Europe- for all of its safety concerns- is part of the problem too. Three years ago, Airbus- the European aircraft manufacturer- admitted to paying at least 340,000 euros to secure a contract to provide planes to Nepal Airlines, further entrenching corrupt practices within the industry and the sense that private benefit trumps public safety and service. At the same time, there is little incentive for international airlines to push for the critical changes needed because the weakness of Nepali airlines has allowed them to grow their market share.
Artcle originally published by Global Policy