Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari said that Nepal will be removed from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)’s aviation safety list within the next three months.

He claimed this speaking at the Parliament . Minister Adhikari was confident that the EU would do the needful.

The minister claimed that the current security and safety standards in Nepal’s aviation sector met the EU requirements. Hence, Nepal’s name would be removed from the list within the next three months. Adhikari informed that concerned EU officials will be coming to the country in September to discuss on aviation safety issues with Nepali officials.

According to All Nepali airlines were banned from flying to Europe owing to their weak safety standards since December 5, 2013. Nepal has been repeatedly requesting the EU to remove it from the list with assurances of improvement. But, the regional body has continued listing Nepal in the blacklist.

In December last year, European Commission had said all Nepali airlines were still subject to an operating ban due to its inclusion in the SSC list. The European Aviation Safety Agency had mentioned then that it had seen no significant improvement in Nepal’s aviation sector reports The Himalayan Times.

“The government believes that by September, EASA will remove Nepal from the SSC list,” Adhikari said. On July 21 last year, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had removed Nepal’s aviation sector from its SSC list and there is no reason why EU would not do the same, he added.