Nepal plane crash kills 18, highlighting country’s poor air safety record
Eighteen people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed during takeoff from the main airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, drawing attention once again to the Himalayan nation’s dismal air safety record.
A history of air safety concerns
Since 2000, more than 360 people have died in airplane or helicopter crashes in Nepal, making it one of the most perilous countries for air travel. Here’s a closer look at why Nepal is particularly vulnerable:.
Challenging terrain
Nestled between India and China, Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks. Its planes often service small airports located in remote hills or near cloud-covered peaks. In addition to these physical obstructions, sudden weather changes can affect wind speeds and intensity, complicating navigation.
According to a 2023 safety report by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), collisions with terrain or other obstacles accounted for 93% of air accident deaths in the prior decade.
Tabletop runways
Due to Nepal’s lack of flat terrain, many areas have tabletop runways created by excavating peaks to form a flat surface. These runways have sheer drops at one or both ends, requiring greater landing skill and increasing the risk of severe injuries or fatalities if pilots overshoot the approach.
An aging fleet
As one of the world’s poorer countries, Nepal has not sufficiently invested in upgrading or maintaining its planes. Many aircraft are aging and lack features common elsewhere, making mishaps more likely. This lack of investment led the European Union to ban air carriers certified in Nepal in 2013, citing “safety concerns.”
However, in its latest safety review in 2023, the EU acknowledged the aviation regulator’s “proactive engagement” and efforts to improve oversight.
Crew management and training
Experts have called for better pilot training in Nepal, attributing some crashes to poor decision-making. Nepal’s worst crash in three decades, which killed 72 people in January 2023, was blamed on the pilot’s lack of awareness of standard operating procedures. The pilot mistakenly cut the plane’s power, causing it to crash. This was the only fatal accident globally last year, breaking a trend of positive safety in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Regulation and oversight
In most countries, aviation services and regulations are handled by separate agencies. In Nepal, however, CAAN both regulates airlines and manages airports, leading experts to cite a conflict of interest. They argue that this arrangement has led to corruption and mismanagement. CAAN denies these claims, asserting that there is no direct link between the units operating under one organization.