KATHMANDU: Nepal and the European Union held discussions on strengthening aviation safety, with both sides reiterating their shared goal of removing Nepal from the aviation safety list.

The issue was raised during a courtesy meeting between Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Anil Kumar Sinha and EU Ambassador to Nepal Veronique Lorenzo at the ministry on Tuesday.

Minister Sinha informed the ambassador about ongoing reforms to improve aviation safety and enhance the institutional capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. He said Nepal has been implementing policy and institutional measures to meet international aviation safety standards.

Ambassador Lorenzo welcomed Nepal’s efforts and said the European Union remains committed to supporting improvements in aviation safety, noting that resolving the issue is in the mutual interest of both sides.

The meeting also touched on Nepal’s broader engagement with the EU as the country prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country category in 2026.

Meanwhile, Nepali Airlines remain banned from EU Airspace over persistent safety concerns with the European Commission (EC) extending its ban on all Nepali airlines from operating within the European Union, citing a continued lack of improvement in safety oversight by Nepali authorities.

The decision, based on the latest EU Air Safety List update, restricts all 20 Nepali carriers from flying into the 28-nation bloc. The list includes 169 airlines globally that are banned due to "a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities in these states."

According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority has not demonstrated sufficient progress in safety regulation, leading to the continued enforcement of the ban first imposed in 2013.