Mountains, bad weather and outdated technology: Why it is so risky to fly planes in Nepal 

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 tallest mountains, including Everest. While the country's rough terrain makes it a favourite tourist destination, it also makes it risky for the planes to navigate, especially in bad weather.

For example, the airport in Lukla, a town located in the northeastern region of Nepal, is often referred to as the most hazardous airport in the world. The airport, also known as the entrance to Everest, has a runway that is set out on a cliffside, between mountains. Over the years, there have been several deadly accidents there, notably in 2008 and again in 2019.

On Sunday, Nepal was the scene for yet another aircraft disaster. The mountainous country seems to have developed a reputation as a graveyard for planes. Since the turn of the century, there have been 17 instances of plane crashes. 

Photo: Reuters

After the latest aircraft tragedy, the country is also under the spotlight for its safety records. 

Nepal's notoriety can be attributed to several factors, including its often stormy weather, limited visibility and hilly landscape. But this time, questions are also being asked about whether or not pilots who were present in the plane disasters had access to the knowledge and technology necessary to save them from making mistakes.

"The latest incident is a domestic flight. A major problem with its domestic flights is that they are not technologically up-to-date," said AFM Anisur Rahman, country manager (Kathmandu) of Biman Bangladesh, adding "many of Nepal's old planes don't come equipped with the most up-to-date weather radars."

Rahman attributed Nepal's topography as one of the biggest reasons for such accidents. 

"Here the weather changes so suddenly and rapidly. The weather makes it difficult to navigate."

A string of crashes

This Sunday, a passenger aeroplane carrying 72 persons in total, including 68 passengers and four crew, crashed close to Nepal's Pokhara International Airport. The ATR-72 plane Yeti Airlines – Kathmandu based domestic airline – was en route from Kathmandu to Pokhara (one of the most important tourist destinations in Nepal).

According to the record maintained by Aviation Safety Network, this is the largest aviation accident to occur in the Himalayan nation since 1992. That year, a Airbus A300 of Pakistan International Airlines crashed into a mountainside, taking the lives of all 167 passengers onboard.

At the beginning of 2018, an aircraft operated by US-Bangla Airlines from Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka to Kathmandu crashed on landing and caught fire. The accident resulted in the deaths of 51 of the 71 persons who were on board.

On 29 May last year, a Tara Air plane crashed in the Mustang of Nepal, taking the lives of all 22 passengers onboard. This was the last major air tragedy to occur in Nepal.

According to the Guardian, Sunday was the 104th accident since 1955. In addition, it was the seventh accident on this route – Kathmandu to Pokhara – in the last three decades.

Moreover, since the turn of this century, at least 309 people have been killed in aircraft or helicopter accidents in Nepal.  

Outdated technology

The Sunday tragedy brought to light once again the dismal safety record of Nepal's aviation industry, more notably for its local flights. Domestic air travel in Nepal is carried out mostly by aircraft that are way past their prime. The majority of these aircraft are not equipped with the advanced technology, such as radar or GPS, which would be helpful in overcoming difficulties caused by poor visibility or adverse weather conditions.

For instance, according to the flight monitoring website FlightRadar24, the age of the aircraft that had crashed was 15 years. Moreover, the plane had an outdated transponder that provided inaccurate data, FlightRadar24 posted on Twitter.

In May 2022, the Tara Air aircraft that went down soon after taking off from Pokhara was a DHC-6-300 Twin Otter. The maiden flight of this single-engine aircraft took place in 1979. It lacked the kind of cutting-edge equipment that would have enabled the pilot to get critical information about the environment.

Last year, Captain Bed Upreti, an experienced Nepalese pilot, told The Guardian, "We can't afford to keep flying aircraft that are 43 years old. The technology, or lack thereof, is dangerous to be flying in a place like Nepal."

As a consequence of previous tragedies and because of the poor state of the aviation industry in Nepal, Nepalese airlines have been barred by the European Commission from entering European airspace since 2013. 

Corruption in Nepal's aviation body

In addition to unfriendly weather, hostile geographical circumstances and antiquated equipment, the aviation body itself is another problem. 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is responsible for both the provision of services and the regulation of aviation in Nepal. Because of this, there is a conflict of interest, particularly with regard to the standards that govern safety. 

The European Commission (EC) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation of the United Nations (ICAO) have urged since 2009 to end this conflict of interest by splitting up the authority. Nevertheless, years later, the same problem persists. 

There is corruption involved in blocking the division of the body, according to a story that was published in the Kathmandu Post. The publication said citing anonymous sources saying that if the civil aviation authority is split up, certain high-ranking post holders would no longer be eligible for the dual perks that they have been getting.

As aviation analyst Hemant Arjyal said, "The problem lies in our system. No one cares about the country. Politicians are wise while making pledges and commitments. But this is the task that we should do. Pledges will not work."

Nepal's mountains: A force to reckon with 

Amit Singh, a commercial pilot and the founder of the Safety Matters Foundation, told ANI, "Kathmandu is a valley, it is like a bowl and the airport is in between, surrounded by mountains, high mountains on all sides. So it is a very challenging airfield."

Anisur Rahman does not want to sound alarmist. "While the number of accidents in Nepal is high, there are still just 'accidents'. One never knows when an accident would occur. Most international airlines have modern equipment and skilful pilots. Bangladesh Biman too put their best one in this route. So, there is no need for unnecessary concerns."

Still, Rahman said that the Nepalese government and aviation authority can do more. They need to spend more money on ensuring safety measures and building airports in safe places.

Nevertheless, in Nepal, there is a pervasive feeling that, given the predominance of natural forces in the area, disasters of this kind are likely unavoidable.