No point adding aircraft to airlines corporation without structural reform: Tourism Minister Paudel

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadga Raj Paudel has said there is no point at all in bringing more aircraft into Nepal Airlines Corporation without structural reform. Speaking on Friday, he said that since the corporation is not merely a profit-making entity but a matter of national pride and the flag carrier, the time has come to take tough decisions to save it.

The corporation, pointing out that it needs about 8 billion rupees to repair four engines, has requested the government to resolve the policy complications in the procurement process. It is in serious crisis due to the burden of high-interest loans, delays in fleet expansion and a shortage of technical manpower. Interest on loans taken from the Employees Provident Fund and the Citizen Investment Trust has also become a burden for the corporation.

At a meeting of the House of Representatives' International Relations and Tourism Committee on Friday, lawmakers expressed concern over the corporation's condition. UML lawmaker Dr Arjun Kumar Karki called the corporation's performance "shameful" and demanded structural reform and fleet expansion. RSP lawmaker Prashant Upreti said the flag carrier could not improve while being kept in a "grey zone."

Congress lawmaker Sandeep Rana remarked that state-owned enterprises had become places for "consuming appointments." CPN lawmaker Ganesh Bahadur Bishwakarma said expensive airfares had affected tourist arrivals and suggested drawing up an action plan with expert involvement instead of making hasty decisions.