KATHMANDU: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Paudel said today that new bills on Nepal’s civil aviation will be tabled soon in parliament.

Responding to a query by Nepali Congress lawmaker Niskal Rai, Minister Paudel said the ministry is finalizing the bills incorporating public suggestions and will table them in the House of Representatives as soon as possible.

Lawmaker Rai asked the minister about the progress made to remove Nepali airlines from the air safety list of the European Union. “Besides other efforts, new bills to split the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal into two separate entities—one responsible for aviation regulation and the other for airport operations and air navigation services—will be tabled in the HoR for discussion any time soon,” Paudel said.

Paudel said the two draft bills—the Air Service Authority of Nepal and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal—were published on the ministry's website for public suggestions. “After receiving the suggestions, the ministry is working to finalize the bills,” he said.

Several programs are underway to make reforms in the aviation sector as sought by the EU, Minister Paudel said, adding that the ministry is also using diplomatic channels to circulate its message on the progress of Nepal’s aviation reforms.

Citing a poor aviation safety record, the European Commission has listed Nepali airlines on its infamous air safety list, banning all air carriers from flying into the 28-member EU bloc since 2013.