Talks on resuming flights inconclusive

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, APRIL 3. Even as pressure is mounting from the travel and trade industry to resume Indian Airlines flights to Kathmandu, the Indo-Nepal talks on security arrangements at Tribhuvan international airport in Kathmandu were inconclusive. At the end of the talks on Saturday, the two sides decided to resume the dialogue soon.

The Indian delegation was led by Mr. Sunil Arora, Joint Secretary, (Security and Airports Authority of India), and officials from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Indian Airlines and the Ministry of External Affairs. The Nepalese side was headed by Joint Secretary, Civil Aviation, Mr. Haribaksha Shrestha.

India said the suspended IA flight would not be resumed until it was satisfied about the security arrangements at kathmandu airport. The flight was suspended following the hijacking of IC- 814 between Kathmandu and New Delhi last December.

The period of May-June being the peak tourist season, there is immense pressure on the Nepalese Government to create conditions for resumption of the IA flight. Over 35 per cent of tourists to Nepal come via India. The worst hit are the hotels, small shop owners and local transporters. Sources in the travel trade said the hotel occupancy in Nepal dropped below 50 per cent since suspension of IA's 18 weekly flights.

Apparently, the major stumbling block is the security check at two points including step-ladder point by Indian personnel. The minimum India has sought is for security screening and ladder point checks in the presence of Indian personnel. But the Nepalese have been reluctant about formalising such a step. The talks were to focus on this aspect.

Much ground was covered and there is optimism that the next round of talks was likely to be conclusive. Airlines conducting their own security checks as a measure of extra precaution at foreign airports is not unusual, as the El Al Airlines of Israel and Air Lanka do.

The IA's loss is Royal Nepal Airlines' gain. Its twice daily flights on the sector are full.

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