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Kathmandu, Nepal: Pratap Jung Pandey has been elected unopposed as Chairman of the Airline Operators Association of Nepal AOAN, assuming leadership at a critical juncture for the country’s domestic aviation sector. The decision was made during AOAN’s 25th Annual General Meeting held on Friday in Kathmandu. Pandey is a director of Kailash Helicopter Services Limited.
The newly elected executive committee reflects representation across Nepal’s fixed wing and rotary wing operators. Nima Nuru Sherpa of Altitude Air has been appointed First Vice President, while Yeti Airlines Chief Executive Officer Subash Sapkota and Tara Air Chief Executive Officer Umesh Paneru have been elected as Second and Third Vice Presidents respectively. Simrik Air Managing Director Muralidhar Joshi will serve as General Secretary, with Balkrishna Pandit of Air Dynasty as Secretary and Buddha Air Director Rupesh Joshi as Treasurer.
Committee members include Rom Harsha Shrestha of Basecamp Helicopter, Ghan Shyam Raj Acharya of Sita Air, Umesh Acharya of Saurya Airlines, Binod Thapa of Fishtail Air, Prajjwal Thapa of Guna Airlines, Milan Maharjan of Himalaya Airlines, Novel Kumar Rajlawat of Prabhu Helicopter and Phurba Chhiring Sherpa of Heli Everest.
Pandey brings continuity to AOAN’s leadership, having previously served as the association’s First Vice President. During his earlier role, he was closely involved in engagement with regulators and policymakers on operational sustainability, safety oversight, and rising cost pressures faced by domestic operators. His elevation is viewed within the industry as a continuation of ongoing reform efforts rather than a shift in direction, providing stability at a time when airlines are grappling with high fuel prices, fleet transition challenges, and tighter regulatory scrutiny.
Addressing the assembly, Pandey said his priorities would include sustainable development of domestic aviation, safe and reliable service delivery, and institutional strengthening of the industry. He warned that without addressing structural issues such as high aviation fuel costs, flight delays, and operational constraints, the sector would struggle to achieve long term viability. Pandey also emphasized the need for better coordination among stakeholders to improve airport utilization and align aviation growth with tourism promotion.
Speaking at the event, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Executive Director General Deo Chandra Lal Karn urged airlines to adopt long term operational planning. He highlighted challenges associated with operating expensive Twin Otter aircraft on remote routes and stressed the regulator’s intention to tighten oversight on carriers focused only on profitable sectors. Karn also reiterated CAAN’s plan to gradually phase out ATR 72 500 aircraft in favor of the ATR 72 600 variant, underlining that aviation safety remains the regulator’s primary responsibility.
The newly elected AOAN committee is expected to play a more assertive role in policy dialogue, passenger safety advocacy, service quality improvement, and coordination between private operators and regulators as Nepal’s aviation sector enters a phase of structural transition.
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