Controversy has flared over the latest transfer to the critical post of Director of Aviation Safety within the Civil Aviation Authority.

The Nepal Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATA), a professional organization of air traffic controllers across the country, and the official employee trade union of the Authority, the Nepal National Employees' Organization, have strongly objected to the latest decision made by the Authority's Acting Director General Devchandra Lal Karna, calling it risky from the point of view of aviation safety and contrary to the rules and institutional spirit.

According to information given to Kantipur by officials of both organizations, Acting Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, Devchandra Lal Karna, had decided to transfer Suresh Sah to the position of Director of the Civil Aviation Aviation Safety Department about a week ago. Sah is a radio engineer by profession and was previously working at a training center. The law prohibits any group other than the Air Traffic Controller Service employees from being transferred to the department.

In a statement issued by the Nepal Air Traffic Controllers Association, it is stated that the decision violates the spirit, spirit and clear provisions of the Civil Aviation Authority Employee Regulations, 2066. According to the association, a position like Aviation Safety Director is very sensitive and requires high technical discretion, experience and institutional knowledge. The association believes that giving responsibility to employees from unrelated service groups in such a position can have a negative impact on the aviation safety system.

Natka has warned that this decision will set a wrong precedent in the future by assigning technical positions beyond qualifications, experience and professional competence.

Meanwhile, the Nepal National Employees' Organization has also issued a separate statement, calling the transfer an illegal, arbitrary and non-transparent decision. The organization has stated that the situation where some employees have been given dual responsibilities with financial rights for a long time within the authority is serious and objectionable. The organization believes that giving additional responsibilities with financial rights to the same employee in a position that is not continuously promoted is against the law, regulations and principles of good governance.

They have stated that giving responsibility to employees of other services/groups despite the existence of posts in the Air Traffic Services Group in the Aviation Safety Department under the Directorate of Aviation Safety and Security Regulation is a clear violation of institutional good governance. The association has stated that giving responsibility to people other than those with relevant qualifications, experience and competence in a sensitive area like aviation safety raises serious questions about the entire aviation safety.

Both organizations have demanded that the current transfer decision made to the post of Aviation Safety Director should be immediately reviewed or revoked by the Acting Director General of the Authority, that only qualified, experienced and competent employees of the relevant service group should be given responsibility as per the regulations, and that clear policies and procedures should be adopted to prevent such irregular, arbitrary and non-transparent decisions from being repeated in the future. Both organizations have warned that if the Authority does not take the initiative to correct the decision, it will be forced to take all available legal, institutional and professional steps to protect aviation safety, institutional dignity and employee rights. The organizations have made it clear that this issue is not an individual issue but a systemic and institutional problem, and have stated that no compromise on aviation safety will be acceptable.