Culture Minister Seeks Model to Revitalize Nepal Airlines

Kathmandu. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadakraj Paudel has said that a suitable model is being sought to uplift Nepal Airlines Corporation. Stating that the corporation has fallen into disrepair, he clarified that the government is seeking a suitable model through national debate to make fundamental reforms in the corporation structurally.

Responding to questions raised by MPs on the allocation of his ministry on Wednesday in the House of Representatives meeting, Minister Paudel stated that the corporation is like a bird with injured wings and the government is striving to move it towards improvement.

He said, 'Beautiful points have been raised regarding Nepal Airlines Corporation. Its problem is not something that the budget can address. But we do regulate and monitor. We have addressed the issue of strengthening Nepal Airlines Corporation before the election, after the election, and after the formation of the government, and in the government's policy and program. A national flag carrier is going into disrepair. There is a debt of more than 65 billion rupees. More than 2 billion rupees of debt is being added every year. And it is going into a very dire state. Where there is a flood of mismanagement. We are working strategically to overcome all of this.'

He further said, 'In which model would it be appropriate to take it? Whether it is appropriate to take it in a PPP model, or in some other model, we will take it to national debate and adopt a suitable model to revitalize and revive it, and only then can there be a possibility of sustainable development of tourism. We cannot expect long flights from a bird with injured wings. For its improvement, for its use, for its fundamental structural reform, we are trying to go with a model of policy reform and uplifting it with the participation of the private sector.'

Minister Paudel also said that the government has been moving forward with the work of formulating a plan to uplift Nepal Airlines Corporation with the participation of the private sector.