KATHMANDU: The European Commission (EC) has extended 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.

The initial blacklisting followed significant safety concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Although Nepal improved its ICAO audit score to over 66% in 2017—meeting global safety standards and resulting in its removal from ICAO’s safety concern list—the EU has maintained its stricter restrictions.

The EU Air Safety List serves as a tool to enforce international safety standards and warn travelers worldwide. Carriers on the list are prohibited from operating to, from, or over EU airspace.

In a statement, the EC emphasized the list’s role as a preventive measure: “The Air Safety List has developed into a strong, internationally recognised tool to help improve aviation safety globally. When under scrutiny, countries tend to improve their safety oversight to avoid seeing their air carriers on the list.”

The extension of the ban highlights ongoing international concerns regarding aviation safety oversight in Nepal, despite previous recognitions of improvement by global bodies.