3 Air Traffic Controllers of TIA suspended

KATHMANDU: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) suspended three air traffic controllers at Tribhuvan International Airport on Sunday.

The ATC personnel were suspended after they allowed two planes to fly nearly at the same altitude simultaneously, according to CAAN.

According to Jagannath Niroula, Spokesperson of the CAAN, the suspension was made after they allowed a Nepal Airlines plane, coming to Kathmandu from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and an Air India plane coming to Kathmandu from New Delhi to fly at a height of 19000 ft and 15000 ft on the same time.

The two planes almost collided when the Air India aircraft was descending from 19,000 ft. The danger of collision was averted after the Nepal Airlines aircraft descended to 7,000 ft.

The incident took place on Friday.

The authority has formed a three-member probe committee to investigate the matter.

However, the names of the suspended have not been made public.