Political favoritism throws Nepal Airlines into operational chaos
Summary
Nepal Airlines Corporation has been thrown into leadership chaos after the Supreme Court invalidated the appointment of Executive Chairman Maheshwar Bhakta Shrestha. The airline’s two wide-body aircraft face overhaul deadlines, while the government has not appointed a new chairman or resolved the board crisis.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court quashed Maheshwar Bhakta Shrestha’s appointment as NAC executive chairman, saying it violated age and selection rules.
- Nepal Airlines is operating without a functioning board leadership as two wide-body A330 aircraft face urgent overhaul deadlines.
- The article says the government’s open-competition process for NAC board appointments was overridden by ministerial favoritism and rank-bypassing.
- A series of court rulings invalidated multiple NAC board appointments, but the government has still not installed a new chairman.
