The authority has a rule that if the AOC is not renewed, the CFA process cannot proceed and the flight permit is automatically suspended.
All four of the company's helicopters have been grounded after Heli Everest's air operator certificate was not renewed on time. According to Gyanendra Bhul, associate spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority, the deadline for AOC renewal expired on Saturday.
The regulatory body of the Authority has been saying that it will take 15 to 45 days to renew each airline's AOC according to the checklist. The Authority has a rule that if the AOC is not renewed, the CFA process cannot proceed and the flight permit will automatically be suspended.
The authority to renew the AOC rests with the Director General of the Authority. However, since Director General Pradeep Adhikari has been suspended in a corruption case, the process to be carried out by the Director General alone has been stopped since Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Government has assigned the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism to also look after the responsibility of the Director General of the Authority. However, the Authority has stated that the process has been delayed for a few days as he will formally assume the responsibility only from Monday.
There are currently 11 helicopter companies operating in Nepal. However, it is considered illegal to fly an aircraft or helicopter without renewing the AOC. In such a situation, there is a provision that the insurance company will not pay compensation in case of any accident or emergency.
