Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Signs MOU With US FAA

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between them. The MOU covers flight inspection of the next generation Mode S Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) system. This system is currently installed in Bhatte Danda in Lalitpur reports, The Kathmandu Post.

Sanjeev Singh Kathayat, the project chief said, “As per our plan, the radar will come into commercial operation by mid-November.”

With the new system, air traffic controller (ATC) will be able to see the precise position, speed, and altitude of every aircraft in range. The MSSR covers an area of 200 nautical miles or more. IT extends from Dang in the west to the entire eastern, northern and southern parts of the country.

ATCS can accommodate more aircraft on any route at a given time which will reduce airspace congestion. Moreover, the radar can monitor aircraft flying low and also track aircraft behind mountain ranges.

This project was approved five years ago. It is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is part of the broader Tribhuvan International Airport modernization project.

This project was started in 2013 and was planned to be completed by 2015. But the earthquake of 2015 and the economic blockade of Nepal along with the monsoon rains delayed the process considerably.