Kathmandu: Nepal has suspended three air traffic controllers and launched an investigation after two passenger jets nearly collided mid-air last week, officials said on Sunday.
The holdup occurred on Friday, March 24, when an Air India passenger plane and a Nepal Airlines plane were waiting to land at Kathmandu’s busy international airport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has set up an investigation committee to look into what caused the incident, spokeswoman Jagannath Nirula revealed.
The employees have been suspended until further notice, a Nepal Airlines plane (Photo: Reuters)
“Tribhuvan International Airport flight controllers involved in the incident between Air India and Nepal Airlines on March 24 have been suspended until further notice,” the Civil Airports Authority of Nepal tweeted on Twitter. According to Nirula: “The Air India plane, which was waiting at an altitude of 19,000 feet due to landing congestion at the Kathmandu airport, suddenly descended and narrowly missed a collision with a Nepal Airlines plane, which was flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet.” The spokeswoman further explained: “Similar to the suspension of the employee, we have sent a letter to the regulatory body of civil aviation in India with a request to investigate the Air India pilot and take the necessary actions.”
The employees were suspended until further notice (Photo: Ingimage)
Nepal is notorious for its troubled air safety affairs, and the latest incident comes less than two months after a plane crash in western Nepal killed all 72 passengers on board. Nepal’s air transport is damaged by accidents due to poor maintenance and inadequate training. In addition, the European Union has banned all Nepali airlines from entering its airspace as a result of the safety issues.