Act

Civil Aviation Act, 1959

All laws Acts

Type
Act
Year
२०१५ BS · 1959 AD
Status
In force
Category
खण्ड ९: पर्यटन, श्रम तथा यातायात · Volume 9: Tourism, Labor and Transport
Official text
Official page Official text (PDF)
English translation
Official English translation
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

  • This is Nepal's basic civil aviation law. It lets the government make rules on setting up airports, banning or restricting flights in parts of Nepal's airspace, protecting the public, compensating owners when buildings near airports must be removed or restricted, carrying goods by air, licensing airlines, flying schools and maintenance organisations, search and rescue, and aircraft noise and pollution. The government may also declare an airport area by Gazette notice and make rules on investigating air accidents.यो नेपालको आधारभूत नागरिक उड्डयन कानून हो। यसले विमानस्थल स्थापना, हवाई क्षेत्रका कुनै भागमा उडान निषेध वा सीमित गर्ने, सर्वसाधारणको सुरक्षा, विमानस्थल वरपरका संरचना हटाउँदा वा निर्माण नियन्त्रण गर्दा क्षतिपूर्ति, हवाई ढुवानी, वायुसेवा कम्पनी, फ्लाइङ स्कुल र मर्मत संस्थाको इजाजत, खोज तथा उद्धार र वायुयानको आवाज तथा प्रदूषण नियन्त्रणबारे नियम बनाउने अधिकार सरकारलाई दिन्छ। सरकारले राजपत्रमा सूचना निकालेर विमानस्थल क्षेत्र घोषणा गर्न र हवाई दुर्घटनाको जाँचबारे नियम बनाउन पनि सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 3, pp. 3–4; Sections 4क–5, p. 6
  • For public security and order the government may, by Gazette order, cancel or suspend licences, ban or regulate flights over all or part of Nepal, and take over airports, aircraft, factories or flying schools (paying compensation for direct loss); disobeying such an order can bring up to three years' prison or a Rs 5,000 fine. It may also detain aircraft and take special measures to stop epidemics spreading through air travel.सार्वजनिक सुरक्षा र शान्ति सुव्यवस्थाका लागि सरकारले राजपत्रमा आदेश जारी गरी इजाजत रद्द वा स्थगित गर्न, नेपालभर वा कुनै भागमा उडान रोक्न वा नियमित गर्न, र विमानस्थल, वायुयान, कारखाना वा हवाई स्कुल आफ्नो जिम्मामा लिन सक्छ (प्रत्यक्ष हानिको क्षतिपूर्ति दिनुपर्छ); यस्तो आदेश नमान्नेलाई तीन वर्षसम्म कैद वा रु. ५,००० सम्म जरिवाना हुन्छ। सरकारले वायुयान रोक्का गर्न र हवाई यात्राबाट महामारी फैलिन नदिन विशेष उपाय अपनाउन पनि सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 4, pp. 5–6; Sections 6–8, pp. 7–8
  • The Act defines serious aviation crimes: unauthorised entry into or overflight of Nepal's airspace (one to three years' prison), hijacking and acts endangering aircraft or flight safety (life imprisonment, or 15–20 years for attempts and accomplices), and damaging airport facilities (one to five years plus damages). Where such a crime causes death or destroys an aircraft, the offender gets life imprisonment and property confiscation. Breaching other rules made under the Act can bring up to three months' prison or a Rs 10,000 fine.ऐनले गम्भीर हवाई अपराध परिभाषित गरेको छ: अनुमतिबिना नेपालको हवाई क्षेत्रमा प्रवेश वा माथिबाट उडान (एक वर्षदेखि तीन वर्षसम्म कैद), वायुयान अपहरण तथा उडानको सुरक्षामा खतरा पुर्‍याउने काम (जन्मकैद, उद्योग वा मतियारलाई १५ देखि २० वर्षसम्म कैद), र विमानस्थलका सुविधामा क्षति (बिगो भराई एकदेखि पाँच वर्षसम्म कैद)। यस्तो अपराधबाट मृत्यु भएमा वा वायुयान नष्ट भएमा जन्मकैद र सम्पत्ति जफत हुन्छ। ऐनअन्तर्गतका अन्य नियम उल्लङ्घन गरेमा तीन महिनासम्म कैद वा रु. १०,००० सम्म जरिवाना हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 9–9क, pp. 8–12
  • Airport chiefs, authorised staff, police and security officers may search passengers, crew and baggage; illegal weapons or explosives are handed to the police. Cases under the Act are heard by the District Court.विमानस्थलका प्रमुख अधिकारी, अख्तियारप्राप्त कर्मचारी, प्रहरी वा सुरक्षा अधिकारीले यात्रु, चालक दल र सामानको खानतलासी गर्न सक्छन्; अवैध हतियार वा विस्फोटक भेटिए प्रहरीको जिम्मा लगाइन्छ। ऐनअन्तर्गतका मुद्दा जिल्ला अदालतले हेर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 10, pp. 17–19; Section 12, p. 19

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

Ideas to fix it

  • As a precondition for removing Nepal from the European Union's air safety list, separate the regulatory and service-provider functions now combined in the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (the regulator set up under a separate Act). The Commission notes that ICAO removed Nepal from its significant safety concern list in July 2017 but the EU list still bars Nepali airlines from flying to European cities.नेपाललाई हवाई क्षेत्रको युरोपेली युनियनको सुरक्षा सूची (कालोसूची) बाट हटाउने पूर्वसर्तका रूपमा नेपाल नागरिक उड्डयन प्राधिकरण (छुट्टै ऐनबाट स्थापित नियामक) भित्र रहेका नियामकीय र सेवा प्रवाह गर्ने निकाय अलग बनाउने। आयोगका अनुसार सन् २०१७ जुलाईमा आइकाओले नेपाललाई गम्भीर सुरक्षा चासोको सूचीबाट हटाए पनि युरोपेली युनियनको सूचीका कारण नेपाली वायुसेवा कम्पनी युरोपेली सहरमा उडान गर्न पाउँदैनन्। Proposed by: High-Level Economic Reform Suggestion Commission (2081) High-Level Economic Reform Commission (उच्चस्तरीय आर्थिक सुधार सुझाव आयोग), submitted to the Ministry of Finance

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

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