In a disappointing turn of events for Nepal, the Indian counterpart has turned down the country\u2019s proposal for air access from the L626 route in Mahendranagar and Nepalgunj.<\/p>\n
After a dismaying round of talks at New Delhi on October 11, 2018, the Civil Aviation Association of Nepal (CAAN) officials were forced to return home without any breakthrough, remarked CAAN<\/a> authorities.<\/p>\n Access from L626 IN Nepalgunj air route was denied on the grounds of \u2018defense issues\u2019 while entry for high-level flights from L626 in Mahendranagar was denied due to heavy traffic in the Indian airspace, revealed sources.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems that the issue will not be sorted out at the technical level and hence it will require a political level intervention,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n Reasons Behind India\u2019s Denial<\/strong> Others think that India is using the situation as a \u2018bargain chip\u2019 to make Nepal use its advanced aviation technology \u2018GAGAN<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n Although the Nepali visiting team was given full authority to negotiate on every possibility of routes and sign an agreement on CAAN\u2019s behalf, India\u2019s response left the Nepali side helpless and indicated that decisions lay in the hands of \u2018higher authorities\u2019.<\/p>\n With regards to Nepal\u2019s proposal, India says it will make further examinations by September.<\/p>\n What Price Will Nepal Have to Pay?<\/strong> According to Ministry documents, any diversion along these routes will cause international flights<\/a> headed for Nepal\u2019s Gautham Buddha Airport, an additional 300 kms to land. The upcoming international airport at Pokhara<\/a> will also have to face the same issue, alongside operational costs.<\/p>\n Nepal had been pitching for cross-border airspace access<\/a> for nine years! The issue was a part of Indian Prime Minister Modi\u2019s visit to Nepal in May 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see whether India will change its mind on the current issue and ease Nepal\u2019s airspace concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a disappointing turn of events for Nepal, the Indian counterpart has turned down the country\u2019s…<\/span><\/p>\n
\nSome officials think that the denial from the Indian side comes as a result of Nepal\u2019s inability to participate in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) joint-military exercise<\/a> in Pune, last month.<\/p>\n
\nThe L626 from Mahendranagar and Nepalgunj will prove crucial to upcoming international airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara, which are very much financially and technically dependent on India\u2019s access provision.<\/p>\n