Parliament committee seeks convincing reply in widebody repairing case

The International Relations and Tourism Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to provide it with documents relating to the maintenance of a narrow-body aircraft within the next 15 days.

A meeting of the Committee held in Singha Durbar Monday urged the national flag carrier to submit a convincing reply regarding the aircraft repair.

According to Committee President Raj Kishore Yadav the Committee is informed about the alleged corruption during the repair of the aircraft’s engine and in this context, the NOC should convince the Committee with a concrete reply that there is no corruption during the maintenance.

The NAC sent its narrow body to Israel on January 11 for repair. The plane was grounded on December 1, 2023. According to the NOC, Israel-based MRO Company assured that the plane will arrive in Kathmandu by April 28.

During the meeting, lawmakers expressed their concern saying that it has been over four months since the aircraft was sent for engine repair and a delay in its arrival has affected the NOC flight schedule.

They demanded the formation of a separate committee to investigate into the matter.

Lawmakers including Bhim Prasad Acharya, Sunita Baral, Shishir Khanal, Uday Shamsher JB Rana, Prem Suwal and Dr Dhawal Shamsher Rana advised the NOC to prepare an action plan for its restructuring, to control irregularities reported inside the NOC and make its service swift and faster.

Minister for Culture and Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hit Bahadur Tamang, assured of action if any wrongdoing is seen on the part of NOC adding he is studying the matter.

NOC executive chair Yubaraj Adhikari has claimed that the NOC has followed the rules while sending the aircraft for repairing.