Ban on paragliding lifted with five conditions

POKHARA, Oct 23: Paragliding flights across the country, which were halted after a paragliding athlete died in an accident during the ninth national games, have resumed from Sunday. After the accident, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had suspended all kinds of paragliding flights across the country indefinitely.

Sunil Bahadur Bhattarai, president of Nepal Airsports Association (NAA), informed Republica that the ban was lifted after NAA, the umbrella organization of paragliding professionals, was ready to accept the five-point conditions set by the authority for the resumption of flights.

“CAAN had set some conditions for the improvement of the air sports sector. We set out to fulfill all those conditions. After that, the flight was allowed," he said, "From today, paragliding will resume." Tourism entrepreneurs were expressing their displeasure over the banning of paragliding during the tourist season.

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While the 9th National Games were going on in Pokhara last Sunday, Niseem Thapa, a player contracted to the Tribhuvan Army Club, died in a paragliding accident. Soon after 'take-off' from Sarangkot, Thapa fell from the sky and died on the spot. After that, the authority banned all kinds of paragliding flights across the country.

Meanwhile, the authority has set five different conditions for the resumption of flights. According to the conditions, only commercial flights within the flight area provided by the authority for commercial flights will be allowed.

Similarly, within 15 days, the health of all pilots should be tested and only those who pass the health test will be allowed to fly. In commercial flights, the pilot must wear all kinds of uniforms with the approval of the authority and the name of the pilot and the company must be written on the uniform.

Likewise, only a qualified pilot will be allowed to fly the glider that is tested by the authority's technician within 15 days. Similarly, it is mentioned that pilots should be given a refresher schedule and practical training, once a year, on using tandem rescue in case of an emergency.