Lawmakers representing the Karnali Region have said their “serious attention” has been drawn over the government’s action to ban chartered passenger flights by single-engine aircraft.

In the first week of March, the Tourism Ministry had stopped registering new single-engine aircraft following the crash-landing of Air Kasthamandap (P-750 XSTOL) on February 26, in which its two pilots were killed.

The minister-level meeting also decided to ban passenger charter flights by single-engine planes.

“The ministry’s decision is not based on experts’ opinion and it largely reflects pressure and their-party interest,” said lawmaker Lalit Shahi, representing Jumla, at an interaction organised by the Airlines Operators’ Association of Nepal here on Monday.

The decision has affected a large number of travellers in the remote Karnali. The lawmakers said after the enforcement of the ban, people in districts like Dolpa and Humla are forced to wait for at least two weeks to get a flight.

“There are lots of rooms to raise questions over the government’s unduly harsh decision,” said Shahi. “The Tourism Ministry was forced to take such a decision under verbal directives of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and this intervention inappropriate and illogic. The government needs to review its decision.”

Lawmaker Dhan Bahadur Buda, representing Dolpa, said the government’s decision violates the rule of law.

Lawmaker Jiban Bahadur Shahi from Humla said such an unexpected ruling may have been prompted by some pressure and interest.

Single-engine aircraft operators said they were surprised by the ministry’s decision as they have been following all the standard operating procedures prescribed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Goma Air, Kasthamandap Air and Makalu Air operate single-engine aircraft in the Nepali skies.

“The ministry has taken the abrupt decision without considering the opinion of experts and has put the operators at risk,” said Manoj Karki, managing director of Goma Air. “If the chartered passenger flights are not allowed, we have no options left, as it is difficult to make profit by operating only cargo flights.”  He said passenger flights contribute 35-40 percent to their revenues.

Even the reports produced by a number of government’s technical teams have recommended single-engine planes as a safe mode of transport in the mountainous region. “We are ready to further strengthen our safety measures, but it’s not a fair treatment to completely restrict passenger flights.”

Single-engine aircraft are known for their short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities on any type of terrain. A STOL plane needs only 195 metres of runway to take off, and it can stop within 130 metres on landing while carrying a payload of 1,500kg.

Single-engine aircraft have a history of more than 50 years in Nepal.

A PC-6 Pilatus Porter provided support to the first successful ascent of Dhaulagiri in 1960. Swiss pilot Emil Wick flew a Pilatus Porter in the Himalaya for the first time in 1960s.