Minister Pandey Commits to Returning Land to Aviation Training Institute

Kathmandu – Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Badri Pandey promises to take steps to return land that had previously belonged to the Nepal Aviation Training Institute. Speaking at the inauguration of the ATC Simulator and Basic Air Traffic Services training program on Thursday, Minister Pandey stresses the importance of securing the land for educational purposes.

Pandey says, "The government should not target any educational institution. The land under the Nepal Aviation Training Institute was taken back by the government in 2076. It’s not right to take away the property of such institutes. Once the Prime Minister returns from abroad, I will discuss the process of returning it."

He further assures that, once the land is returned, necessary infrastructure will be built to produce skilled manpower in the field of aviation. Pandey acknowledges that the institute currently lacks enough land and reiterates his commitment to work towards returning the taken land to the academy.

The minister emphasizes the critical role the institute’s graduates play in ensuring the safety of Nepal's skies, adding, "If the civil aviation sector weakens, it will impact many things. We need to work in a way that communicates to the world that Nepal’s skies are safe. It is important to stop the wrong narrative that suggests otherwise."

Pandey directs the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority to take full responsibility for ensuring that Nepal’s skies remain safe. He also pledges that the government will intervene where necessary to make Nepal’s airlines safer and more reliable.