TIA
IN A MAJOR BLOW TO TOURISM LANDING OF WIDE-BODIED
AIRCRAFT BANNED AT ONLY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Kathmandu, 19 Aug.: Tribhuvan
International Airport
has instructed all airlines flying to Nepal to stop using wide-body
aircraft for the time being as a measure to stop inflicting further damage to
the
runway of the country’s only international airport, The Himalayan Times reports..
However, the move appears to come a bit late, as the damage has already been done.
“A formal notice has already been forwarded to respective airline companies,” President of Airlines Operating Committee Bharat Kumar Shrestha told THT. The notice, however, does not mention when the decision comes into effect, added Shrestha.
This latest measure taken by TIA is expected to affect flights of Thai Airways and Korean Air, as they operate wide-body aircraft.
The latest decision comes hot on the heels of TIA’s revelation that regular operation of heavy-weight aircraft on TIA was causing damage to the runway.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and TIA Improvement Project have also confirmed that operation of large aircraft with takeoff weight almost thrice that the runway can handle is the main reason for creation of potholes on the runway.
“The TIA tarmac was originally built in 1967 for smaller aircraft, such as DC 10. It can only handle narrow body airplanes,” Deputy Director General of CAAN’s Aerodrome Operation Directorate Suman Kumar Shrestha told THT.
A narrow body aircraft has maximum takeoff weight of 79 tons and TIA allows 74–75 tons of weight on such aircraft. But lately TIA has also been allowing wide-body aircraft, with maximum takeoff weight of 190–195 tons, to operate on its 3,048-metre-long runway.
“This has been creating pressure on the airstrip, which was not designed for heavy-weight aircraft,” said Suman. Due to this, holes as deep as one-and-a-half inches have been formed on the runway, said an official of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, on condition of anonymity.
“Small pebbles can turn into bullet-like objects when they collide with a fast-moving aircraft and may cause damage to the engine of aircraft, inducing another disaster,” said Suman. “That’s why we cannot ignore small damages caused to runways. So for the time being operation of wide-body aircraft should be stopped.”
However, AOC said it was almost impossible for the international airlines using wide-body aircraft to make such changes as bookings and reservations have already been made.
“Besides, the government will need to first amend its Air Service Agreement with several countries, as the pact allows operation of all types of aircraft,” Bharat said.
In this context, the only option would be to build a new runway with a capacity to handle heavy-weight aircraft.
“But this is impossible for now as we don’t have an alternate runway. Besides, it could take up to two years to completely excavate the existing runway and build a new one,” Suman said. “A Spanish consulting firm is conducting studies on the damage caused to the runway. We are waiting for them to submit a report,” a CAAN source said.
runway of the country’s only international airport, The Himalayan Times reports..
However, the move appears to come a bit late, as the damage has already been done.
“A formal notice has already been forwarded to respective airline companies,” President of Airlines Operating Committee Bharat Kumar Shrestha told THT. The notice, however, does not mention when the decision comes into effect, added Shrestha.
This latest measure taken by TIA is expected to affect flights of Thai Airways and Korean Air, as they operate wide-body aircraft.
The latest decision comes hot on the heels of TIA’s revelation that regular operation of heavy-weight aircraft on TIA was causing damage to the runway.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and TIA Improvement Project have also confirmed that operation of large aircraft with takeoff weight almost thrice that the runway can handle is the main reason for creation of potholes on the runway.
“The TIA tarmac was originally built in 1967 for smaller aircraft, such as DC 10. It can only handle narrow body airplanes,” Deputy Director General of CAAN’s Aerodrome Operation Directorate Suman Kumar Shrestha told THT.
A narrow body aircraft has maximum takeoff weight of 79 tons and TIA allows 74–75 tons of weight on such aircraft. But lately TIA has also been allowing wide-body aircraft, with maximum takeoff weight of 190–195 tons, to operate on its 3,048-metre-long runway.
“This has been creating pressure on the airstrip, which was not designed for heavy-weight aircraft,” said Suman. Due to this, holes as deep as one-and-a-half inches have been formed on the runway, said an official of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, on condition of anonymity.
“Small pebbles can turn into bullet-like objects when they collide with a fast-moving aircraft and may cause damage to the engine of aircraft, inducing another disaster,” said Suman. “That’s why we cannot ignore small damages caused to runways. So for the time being operation of wide-body aircraft should be stopped.”
However, AOC said it was almost impossible for the international airlines using wide-body aircraft to make such changes as bookings and reservations have already been made.
“Besides, the government will need to first amend its Air Service Agreement with several countries, as the pact allows operation of all types of aircraft,” Bharat said.
In this context, the only option would be to build a new runway with a capacity to handle heavy-weight aircraft.
“But this is impossible for now as we don’t have an alternate runway. Besides, it could take up to two years to completely excavate the existing runway and build a new one,” Suman said. “A Spanish consulting firm is conducting studies on the damage caused to the runway. We are waiting for them to submit a report,” a CAAN source said.
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MOVEMENT OF DHARAN HOSPITAL STAFF RESTRICTED
Kathmandu, 19 Aug.: The
Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today began
investigation into allegation of corruption and irregularities against the
vice-chancellor. and other top officials of BP Koirala Institute of Heath and
Sciences,
Dharan, The Himalayan Times reports from Kathmandu,
Dharan.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority
today began investigation into allegation of corruption and irregularities
against the vice-chancellor
and other top officials of BP Koirala Institute of Heath and Sciences, Dharan.
Vice-Chancellor Balabhadra Prasad Das, Examination Dean Dhruba Kumar Upreti, Rector Bikram Prasad Shrestha, Department of Education Dean Sudha Agrawal, Examination Assistant Dean Shivendra Jha, Technical Assistant Gaurav Sanjel and examination committee members Dr Rataj Agrawal, Nirmala Sharma, Bhuwan Govinda Shrestha, Suman Singh, Navin Agrawal, Siddhartha Koirala, Ram Sharan Mehta, Nidhi Sah and Shyam Sah presented themselves before the CIAA in the capital today after they were summoned through the District Administration Office, Sunsari.
A source close to CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki said the officials were under area restriction order and were barred from venturing outside the Kathmandu Valley. “They can stay in a hotel but cannot go beyond the Kathmandu Valley until further orders from the CIAA,” he told The Himalayan Times.
CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said they were told to present themselves before the CIAA at 10 am tomorrow to continue recording their statements regarding a probe into alleged corruption and irregularities in MBBS and BDS entrance examinations held on August 3.
“They have not been arrested. We didn’t find any ground to detain them immediately because there are so many technical issues to be settled,” Sapkota said.
BPKIHS had published the results of the MBBS and BDS entrance examinations on August 6. The results were published again on August 8 and 13. The candidates, who had passed the exam on August 6, found their names missing when the results were republished for the second and the third time. Smelling a rat, they filed a complaint at CIAA against BPKIHS officials, accusing them of being involved in irregularities while publishing results and not selecting candidates on merit.
After the students’ complaint, Sunsari DAO raided BPKIHS and seized all the documents related to the entrance examinations as per anti-graft body’s directive. A team led by Sunsari CDO Laxman Thapa seized answer sheets, results, attendance and computers used for the examinations on Friday and sent the sealed documents to the CIAA by plane today.
As many as 2,278 candidates had taken the entrance examination held for 120 MBBS and BDS seats..
Vice-Chancellor Balabhadra Prasad Das, Examination Dean Dhruba Kumar Upreti, Rector Bikram Prasad Shrestha, Department of Education Dean Sudha Agrawal, Examination Assistant Dean Shivendra Jha, Technical Assistant Gaurav Sanjel and examination committee members Dr Rataj Agrawal, Nirmala Sharma, Bhuwan Govinda Shrestha, Suman Singh, Navin Agrawal, Siddhartha Koirala, Ram Sharan Mehta, Nidhi Sah and Shyam Sah presented themselves before the CIAA in the capital today after they were summoned through the District Administration Office, Sunsari.
A source close to CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki said the officials were under area restriction order and were barred from venturing outside the Kathmandu Valley. “They can stay in a hotel but cannot go beyond the Kathmandu Valley until further orders from the CIAA,” he told The Himalayan Times.
CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said they were told to present themselves before the CIAA at 10 am tomorrow to continue recording their statements regarding a probe into alleged corruption and irregularities in MBBS and BDS entrance examinations held on August 3.
“They have not been arrested. We didn’t find any ground to detain them immediately because there are so many technical issues to be settled,” Sapkota said.
BPKIHS had published the results of the MBBS and BDS entrance examinations on August 6. The results were published again on August 8 and 13. The candidates, who had passed the exam on August 6, found their names missing when the results were republished for the second and the third time. Smelling a rat, they filed a complaint at CIAA against BPKIHS officials, accusing them of being involved in irregularities while publishing results and not selecting candidates on merit.
After the students’ complaint, Sunsari DAO raided BPKIHS and seized all the documents related to the entrance examinations as per anti-graft body’s directive. A team led by Sunsari CDO Laxman Thapa seized answer sheets, results, attendance and computers used for the examinations on Friday and sent the sealed documents to the CIAA by plane today.
As many as 2,278 candidates had taken the entrance examination held for 120 MBBS and BDS seats.
and other top officials of BP Koirala Institute of Heath and Sciences, Dharan.
Vice-Chancellor Balabhadra Prasad Das, Examination Dean Dhruba Kumar Upreti, Rector Bikram Prasad Shrestha, Department of Education Dean Sudha Agrawal, Examination Assistant Dean Shivendra Jha, Technical Assistant Gaurav Sanjel and examination committee members Dr Rataj Agrawal, Nirmala Sharma, Bhuwan Govinda Shrestha, Suman Singh, Navin Agrawal, Siddhartha Koirala, Ram Sharan Mehta, Nidhi Sah and Shyam Sah presented themselves before the CIAA in the capital today after they were summoned through the District Administration Office, Sunsari.
A source close to CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki said the officials were under area restriction order and were barred from venturing outside the Kathmandu Valley. “They can stay in a hotel but cannot go beyond the Kathmandu Valley until further orders from the CIAA,” he told The Himalayan Times.
CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said they were told to present themselves before the CIAA at 10 am tomorrow to continue recording their statements regarding a probe into alleged corruption and irregularities in MBBS and BDS entrance examinations held on August 3.
“They have not been arrested. We didn’t find any ground to detain them immediately because there are so many technical issues to be settled,” Sapkota said.
BPKIHS had published the results of the MBBS and BDS entrance examinations on August 6. The results were published again on August 8 and 13. The candidates, who had passed the exam on August 6, found their names missing when the results were republished for the second and the third time. Smelling a rat, they filed a complaint at CIAA against BPKIHS officials, accusing them of being involved in irregularities while publishing results and not selecting candidates on merit.
After the students’ complaint, Sunsari DAO raided BPKIHS and seized all the documents related to the entrance examinations as per anti-graft body’s directive. A team led by Sunsari CDO Laxman Thapa seized answer sheets, results, attendance and computers used for the examinations on Friday and sent the sealed documents to the CIAA by plane today.
As many as 2,278 candidates had taken the entrance examination held for 120 MBBS and BDS seats..
Vice-Chancellor Balabhadra Prasad Das, Examination Dean Dhruba Kumar Upreti, Rector Bikram Prasad Shrestha, Department of Education Dean Sudha Agrawal, Examination Assistant Dean Shivendra Jha, Technical Assistant Gaurav Sanjel and examination committee members Dr Rataj Agrawal, Nirmala Sharma, Bhuwan Govinda Shrestha, Suman Singh, Navin Agrawal, Siddhartha Koirala, Ram Sharan Mehta, Nidhi Sah and Shyam Sah presented themselves before the CIAA in the capital today after they were summoned through the District Administration Office, Sunsari.
A source close to CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki said the officials were under area restriction order and were barred from venturing outside the Kathmandu Valley. “They can stay in a hotel but cannot go beyond the Kathmandu Valley until further orders from the CIAA,” he told The Himalayan Times.
CIAA Spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said they were told to present themselves before the CIAA at 10 am tomorrow to continue recording their statements regarding a probe into alleged corruption and irregularities in MBBS and BDS entrance examinations held on August 3.
“They have not been arrested. We didn’t find any ground to detain them immediately because there are so many technical issues to be settled,” Sapkota said.
BPKIHS had published the results of the MBBS and BDS entrance examinations on August 6. The results were published again on August 8 and 13. The candidates, who had passed the exam on August 6, found their names missing when the results were republished for the second and the third time. Smelling a rat, they filed a complaint at CIAA against BPKIHS officials, accusing them of being involved in irregularities while publishing results and not selecting candidates on merit.
After the students’ complaint, Sunsari DAO raided BPKIHS and seized all the documents related to the entrance examinations as per anti-graft body’s directive. A team led by Sunsari CDO Laxman Thapa seized answer sheets, results, attendance and computers used for the examinations on Friday and sent the sealed documents to the CIAA by plane today.
As many as 2,278 candidates had taken the entrance examination held for 120 MBBS and BDS seats.
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posted by Bhola Rana @ 10:20 PM
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