CAAN to install additional webcams en route to rural airports

KATHMANDU, August 21: The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority is going to install two webcams en route to rural airports for flight safety reasons. 

According to Gyanendra Bhul, information officer of the authority, the authority is going to connect the webcams made by the National Innovation Centre. The authority will install the webcams produced by the center in Pokhara-Jomsom, Kathmandu-Lukla including Lamjura Pass and in Simikot area.  

“Earlier the authority had installed webcams en route Pokhara-Jomson and has decided to install additional webcams in the same route and in other routes after the installed webcams were very useful in strengthening flight safety,” he said.  

In view of the geographical complexity and weather diversity, CAAN had inked an agreement wth the NIC around nine months ago to collaborate in installing cameras to provide weather information on the Pokhara-Jomsom air route.

Last Wednesday at the office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, emphasis was placed on the use of new technology in a serious review and study-focused discussion on the overall management and security arrangements of the airport. On the other hand, the European Union has also been giving suggestions to Nepal to use new technology to strengthen air security.

Almost half a dozen air accidents have occurred in the remote areas of the country in the last two years. During this period, the planes and helicopters of Tara Air, Simrik Air, Manang Air and other airline companies have suffered material and human losses due to accidents. According to the authority, most of the accidents are due to en-route weather.

At present, Nepali Air Service (Fixed and Rotor Wing) companies are only taking the weather information of two airports before flying.

In this way, while flying according to the weather information of the airport, flights have been diverted from the air route. With the installation of a weather camera, it is said that the weather information between the destinations can be recorded and provided to airline companies.

According to the authority, there are more such problems in difficult (STOL) destinations compared to easy (trunk) destinations. The webcam is going to be installed to reduce the risk of incidents/accidents due to adverse weather conditions.

A Bullet camera technology will be used in the installed webcams which will allow the airline company to monitor the enroute weather before conducting the flight through the cameras installed.

This infrastructure is going to be expanded to reduce the risk of landing and landing fixed-wing ships, which are flying to difficult destinations, especially with helicopters.