KATHMANDU: Two helicopter companies have been grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) due to serious concerns about air safety. This comes after Saurya Airlines was involved in a helicopter disaster. Following a Safety Management System (SMS) examination, which found that these two helicopter businesses had scores below 25 percent, indicating serious safety management inadequacies, CAAN made its judgment.

The second helicopter accident involving Air Dynasty caused a delay in the original Wednesday grounding of these companies. The 2023 SMS research revealed that a number of businesses, such as Mustang, Annapurna, and Prabhu, continued to exhibit safety carelessness as evidenced by safety scores below 60%.

CAAN is stepping up its investigation of aviation safety in reaction to the recent wave of plane crashes. Restrictions on helicopter operations during the monsoon season, the requirement for two pilots on VVIP flights, and improved financial audits of aviation businesses are some of the new restrictions. These actions are a component of CAAN's larger initiatives to deal with safety concerns and guarantee adherence to aviation safety regulations.

The new regulations have faced resistance, with pilots protesting the monsoon flight restrictions and MPs halting a decision to ban flights after 12 PM in Karnali. Despite this, CAAN is determined to enforce strict safety measures to prevent further accidents and improve overall aviation safety.