Saurya Airlines Granted Permission to Resume Flights After Meeting Safety Directives

Kathmandu. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has granted Saurya Airlines permission to resume flights. The company stated that the flight permission was granted after Saurya Airlines and other airlines complied with all suggestions directed by the commission formed by the Government of Nepal to investigate air accidents and by the Authority.

According to the company, the Acting Director General of the Authority, Devchandra Lal Karna, renewed the flight permit after the airline purchased and installed the necessary technical software and achieved a score of over 65 percent in the safety standard audit.

All flights of Saurya were halted after a plane crashed en route to Pokhara from Tribhuvan International Airport on 9 Shrawan 2081. The Authority had lifted the ban on Saurya Airlines' flight permit on 30 Shrawan 2082. However, the flight ban remained in effect because the safety audit score was below 60 percent.

Upon receiving the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the airline is set to resume regular flights after fulfilling all safety standards. Company spokesperson Mukesh Khanal informed that the company is preparing to operate services with one aircraft immediately.

According to him, the company initially plans to start regular flights to Biratnagar and Bhadrapur. Saurya Airlines' flights were under a ban following the accident at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. However, the company claims to have returned to service in a completely safe manner after passing the flight permit AOC and safety audit from the Civil Aviation Authority.

The airline stated that the flight permit renewal was previously not possible because it failed to secure 60 percent marks in the safety audit. However, spokesperson Mukesh Khanal informed that the flight permission was obtained because the airline fully complied with the 23-point safety suggestions given by the Authority and achieved a score above 65 percent after purchasing the necessary software and undergoing a re-audit.

He said, "We have passed the safety audit and received the certificate qualifying us to fly." The company currently has two aircraft with call signs 9N-LEI and 9N-ANM. Among them, the aircraft with call sign 9N-LEI has been grounded due to technical issues for the past year. The company plans to operate flights to Biratnagar and Bhadrapur using the 9N-ANM aircraft.

Company Deputy Managing Director Umesh Acharya also informed that there are plans to expand services by bringing in an ATR 72-600 aircraft in the near future.

Saurya Airlines is an entity with foreign investment. During the 18 months of flight disruption, the company paid salaries, allowances, and provided necessary technical training to its 105 to 165 employees. Furthermore, the company stated that it has no outstanding fees or dues payable to the Government of Nepal or regulatory bodies.