High level committee formed to study paragliding flights

KATHMANDU, Oct 19: A high-level investigation committee has been formed to secure paragliding flights in Nepal. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) formed a committee on Wednesday under the coordination of Hansraj Pandey, Deputy Director General of the CAAN.

According to Jagannath Niraula, spokesperson of the CAAN, the committee has been given a mandate to submit a report as soon as possible. He informed that the committee will be studied with representatives from the Nepal Air Sports Organization, National Sports Council, and the medical field. According to him, the committee can study by adding representatives from the areas it deems necessary.

The committee has been assigned the responsibility of studying the practice of paragliding so far and recommending measures to be taken to make its flight more orderly and safe.

Last Sunday, during the National Games in Pokhara, a Nepali Army athlete died after falling from paragliding. After that, the authority has banned paragliding flights across the country.

According to spokesperson Niraula, this ban imposed across the country will continue until the inquiry committee comes. He informed that after the report of the committee, a new decision will be made based on the recommendations of the same committee.

Commercial flight started in Nepal in 1996 from Sunrise Paragliding in Pokhara. According to the data of CAAN, 17 people have lost their lives in accidents since then. A total of 17 major accidents have occurred including the accident on Sunday. In which 17 people have died.