From the Nepali Press
www.onlinekhabar.com, 25 January
When Nepal’s civil aviation regulators recently met their Indian counterparts in New Delhi, they were once again asked to allow Indian sky marshals to get off flights that make a nightstop at Kathmandu Airport.
Nepali negotiators reportedly told the Indians they couldn’t decide, and told them to take it up at the highest political level. But they were taken aback when the Indian authorities pointed out a provision in Nepal’s Aviation Safety Guidelines 2016, which allows Indian sky marshals to come to Kathmandu after taking permission from Nepal’s Home Ministry.
Nepali politics is now heating up over this issue. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s ex-comrade Netra Bikram Chandra ‘Biplab’ has accused him of selling out to the Indians. Biplab, who now leads a Maoist faction that says it is preparing for another revolution, has claimed that India wants to send air marshals to Nepal as part of its strategy to keep Kathmandu Airport under its control.
The main opposition UML has also slammed the Dahal government for allowing Indian sky marshals to get off their planes and stay overnight in Kathmandu. But it has been learnt that Nepal’s new guidelines on Indian sky marshals were prepared by the UML government itself when it was led by KP Oli. The Maoists-NC coalition just endorsed it.
After an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked in 1999 and flown to Afghanistan, India has placed air marshals in flights to and from Kathmandu and Indian airports.
Even now, Kathmandu-bound Indian planes have armed sky marshals, but most never get off the plane. However, Jet Airways flights spend the night at Kathmandu airport, and sky marshals on those flights want to get off the plane like the rest of the crew.
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So whats the problem??? Let them stay overnight!! Or is our country afraid of being invaded by two air Marshall?? What makes me puke is that our politicians are so dumbfuck that all they do is rape Nepalese everyday out of their dignity.
Is this even an issue?? They leave their weapons behind in the aircraft and disembark just like the stewards and hostesses do. What’s the fuss?? Nepal has bigger diplomatic, economic and political issues with India that needs working on. Grow up Nepal!!
What is wrong with nepalese government bureaucrats and politicians? How would two, three, four, or even 10 air marshals threaten Nepals security? Isn’t Nepal aviation bound by norms of International aviation rules and regulations. I am not aware of Israeli air marshals spending their nights in airplanes on tarmacs of Bangkok, New Delhi or other airports.
I am a Nepali and feel ashamed of this policy.
Oh my god. How stupid are these ppl. Two air marshal will take over the airport? They are placed there for safety of passengers and in case of over night stay should be allowed to rest and then carry on with their duty. Sure airlines will pay for any expenses, what’s the big deal here.