Nepal and France concluded an MoU with the Director General of CAAN Sanjiv Gautam and the Director of International Cooperation of DGAC/France Bertrand De-Lacombe signing on Technical Cooperation Program in a ceremony organized in CAAN HQ, Babar Mahal. 

This cooperation program will boost bilateral cooperation in the emerging field of civil aviation. The MOU has been signed on behalf of the two countries after its approval by the two Governments and would be for a term of four years.

 As per this MOU, both sides will undertake to cooperate through manifold actions such as exchanging information concerning the various techniques used to reach the objectives; sending French experts or instructors to Nepal for training missions; and receiving experts or instructors of Nepal, in France for training missions.

 Nepal had signed an agreement on technical cooperation with ICAO in April 2015.  In accordance to the agreement one flight operations expert, one air worthiness expert and one personnel licensing expert were deputed to Nepal for a period of 12 months, 9 months and 6 months respectively.

The experts have already completed their assigned tenure in June 2017.  This kind of technical cooperation continues with France providing experts support in the field of flight operations and airworthiness.

 The ICVM carried out in 4-11 July has already lifted the SSC identified by the ICVM of July 2013.  This SSC had been the main cause of the inclusion of all Nepali air carries in its air safely list by the EU.  Now that the SSC tag has been erased, CAAN has been focusing its efforts in removing Nepali carries from the EU air safety list.

 The history of technical cooperation between France and Nepal is very long. Under French Protocol ATS Tower Console, communication and navigation equipment, airfield lighting system were installed in many domestic airports of Nepal.  ATS Tower console and communication facilities installed during eighties are still in operation in many STOL airports located in remote areas of Nepal.  On 4 November 1997, DGAC France and DCA Nepal signed an agreement on Technical Cooperation in civil aviation field.  Under this technical cooperation program, DGAC extended its support to develop qualified technical manpower like safety oversight inspectors, airworthiness engineers, procedure designers, aeronautical information managers, safety managers and so on.

 The specific activities to be performed by CAAN and the DGAC of France under this MOU will be carried out by mutual consent.