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Airlines urge govt to withdraw bids on ramp bus service
KATHMANDU, JAN 05 - The Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has asked the government to withdraw the contract awarded to a private contractor – Swastika Trade Concern and Thapa Constructions for the operation of ramp bus service at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
"If not, we will indefinitely suspend all the domestic flights from January 11," said Bikash Rana, President of AOAN, speaking in a press conference organised by the association in the capital today.
He argued that there are 13 buses operating inside the airport and if the decision is not revoked, the airlines will lose more than Rs 23 million annually.
Currently, we spend some 4.6 million to transport a passenger from the terminal building to the aircraft, he said, claiming that under the new scheme the total cost on ramp buses will rise to more than Rs 27.8 million, he added.
The airlines operators had warned to ground their aircraft, after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) sent a letter to the airlines operators recently asking them to discontinue their bus service inside the TIA from 11 January.
As per the new decision, only a single company would be allowed to operate bus services to carry passengers inside the TIA. Until now, each airlines company used to operate their own busses for the transfer of passengers from the aircraft to the arrival lounge.
Amidst a controversy, the CAAN had, few months back, awarded the contract of ramp bus services of Rs 1.5 million to the said company.
The decision will not just increase the financial liability of the domestic airline operators, but it also defies international norms and practices, said Haribhakta Shrestha, the General Manager of Gorkha Air.
"As per the international regulations, contract of ramp bus service cannot be awarded to the third party who is not directly involved in the airlines industry," he said and added that the decision has also created a confusion regarding the liability on the ramp buses.
The decision is not justifiable on any ground, Vijaya Shrestha, First Vice President of the AOAN said. He further opined that the CAAN’s decision is unfair because it will generate Rs 1 million to CAAN at the cost of more than Rs 30 million to the operators.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Survendranath Sukla has said that he has taken the issue seriously. "We have called a meeting with the airlines companies on January 5th. The meeting will find the solution to the issue," he said.
If airline operators and CAAN do not come to an understanding, I will interfere and resolve the problem, he assured.Posted on: 2004-01-06 04:30
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