Legislative delays jeopardize Nepal’s plan to exit EU air safety blacklist

The Nepalese government’s effort to remove the country from the European Commission’s Air Safety List by mid-January 2027 hinges on two bills that would separate the civil aviation regulator from its service-provider functions. Although the finance ministry approved the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Bill and the Air Service Authority of Nepal Bill and forwarded them to the law ministry, Parliament was prorogued before the bills could be debated.

Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle had earmarked the mid-January 2027 deadline, a first specific target set by the Balendra Shah administration. The postponement endangers Nepal’s plan to host the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme in May, since the audit requires legal and regulatory documents to be “frozen” six months in advance. Without the new legislation, auditors will examine the old framework, likely preventing progress toward delisting. Officials anticipate seeking an audit extension, but the EU has emphasized that functional independence, not a specific split, is the key requirement for removal from the safety list.