10 Dec, 2018
Nepal is an extremely diversified nation with stunning sceneries. Its mighty mountains range from a few hundred metres from sea level in its plains to Mt. Everest, which lies above 8848.86m above sea level in Solukhumbu. No other nation in the world can match Nepal’s geographical gradient. The Himalayas cover 83% of Nepal, and getting to these highlands is tough and time consuming. So here comes helicopters to the rescue! American Bell Helicopters leased by Nepal Airlines in the 1960s were the first helicopters to fly in Nepal. After the Bell Helicopters, two Soviet Mi-4 helicopters reached Nepal and flew planned trips to distant regions of the country. Nepal has now 11 commercial helicopter companies, each with roughly thirty helicopters. The Heli services cater to the varied demands of their customers. Normal passenger flights, mountain flights, cargo and charter flights, rescue services, and air ambulance services are all available by helicopter in Nepal. The mobility of helicopters has steadily increased during the last 10 years. The country’s rugged topography necessitates helicopter operations for logistical, rescue, and relief missions in its mountainous terrain. Similarly, tourism has spiked up due to the growing number of helicopter operations. Because such activities carry a greater risk factor due to location and weather, helicopter accidents continue to be a hassle in Nepalese aviation.
Safety is the first and most important priority in aviation, including helicopters. The 193 countries that collaborate through ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation), including Nepal, are currently working towards their agreed global safety target of zero fatalities by 2023. It is also strengthening its regulatory capacities, while pursuing a variety of programs and targets relevant to the current core areas of global aviation, such as safety planning, oversight, and risk mitigation. The Nepal Aviation Safety Plan (NASP), 2018-2022, developed in accordance with the Global Aviation Safety Plan and Regional Aviation Safety Plan (RASP), has identified seven operational safety risk areas, namely- controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), loss of control in flight (LOC-I), mid-air collision (MAC), runway incursion (RI), runway excursion (RE), wildlife strike (WS), and abnormal runway contact (ARC). CAAN (Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal) is constantly monitoring the implementation of NASPSEIs (Safety Enhancement Initiative) and related measures to ensure that they are completed and the risk of helicopter fatalities is significantly reduced. Nepal has begun to execute the State Safety Plan (SSP) in order to improve state safety management.
The aviation industry is researching, providing various training, and devising methods to make helicopter flights safer and more secure. To limit the risks, swift action is taken to eliminate harmful situations and behaviours. The staff participating in the flights have received enough training to perform their duties safely. Every employee is accountable for carrying out their responsibilities while taking care of the safety of clients, colleagues, their personal safety, and the property and equipment entrusted to them in consideration. Every member of flight follows the rules of conduct and safety, and is responsible for the correct maintenance and use of the equipment provided. Flight safety necessitates a responsible mindset, job knowledge and abilities, strong leadership, and an organised strategy to plan and incorporate safety into the work sequence, all of which Nepalese Heli-flights have excelled at over the last decade.
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