KATHMANDU, Oct 15: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), citing recurring accidents of helicopters operated by Manang Air, has decided to suspend the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) of the airlines company.

The regulatory body has come up with the decision after a '9N-ANJ’ helicopter of Manang Air crashed in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-4, Lobuche on Saturday morning. The helicopter was reported to have been making its way from Lukla for a high-altitude rescue operation.  

This action by CAAN follows two separate helicopter accidents involving Manang Air within a three-month period, prompting the authority to suspend the AOC granted to the company. The previous accident of the company’s chopper on July 11 had claimed the lives of six passengers. The helicopter ‘9N-AMV' met with the accident in Likhupike, Solukhumbu killing five Mexican tourists and the pilot.

Regarding the latest crash, Gyanendra Bhul, information officer of the CAAN, said on Saturday that the helicopter faced the accident after it lost its balance while landing. Despite having suitable weather conditions, the helicopter turned upside down, said Bhul.

The helicopter’s pilot Prakash Sedhai, who was seriously injured in the accident, is currently receiving treatment at Kathmandu-based HAMS. According to the hospital source, Sedhai sustained 45-50 percent burns, while a number of other problems related to lungs, kidneys and spinal bones have been traced. “We are preparing to send Sedhai to the National Burn Center of Mumbai, India for further treatment,” said the source.   

The Manang Air chopper crash took place just a day after Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat requested the European Union to remove Nepal from their aviation safety concern list. Since 2013 the EU has put Nepal's airlines companies in its list of air safety concerns and due to this the airlines companies of Nepal are not allowed to operate flights in the European skies. 

The EU had refused to de-list Nepali airlines from the list of aviation concerns when it carried out a monitoring of Nepali airlines last year. It had announced its plan of conducting an on-site monitoring of the status of air safety issues in February 2023, but the EU team did not come to Nepal for the monitoring following the air crash near the Pokhara Airport on January 15.

 
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