Nepal is preparing to split its aviation regulator as part of an effort to improve air safety, Reuters reports, a structural reform aimed at addressing persistent safety concerns in one of South Asia's most challenging operating environments.

The plan would break up the current civil aviation authority, which today holds both regulatory oversight and air navigation service responsibilities under a single institutional roof. Nepal's government has concluded that this dual mandate compromises the independence of safety supervision.

Why does Nepal want to split the regulator?

The reform addresses a long-standing structural conflict. When a single body both regulates airlines and provides air traffic control services, it effectively supervises its own operations. International safety assessments have repeatedly flagged this arrangement as a weakness.

Nepal's aviation sector has faced intense scrutiny following a series of fatal accidents in recent years. The country's mountainous terrain, difficult weather and constrained airport infrastructure have compounded oversight challenges.

What changes under the split?

The reorganisation would create separate institutions:

• A dedicated safety regulator responsible for certification, oversight and enforcement across Nepali carriers and airports
• A distinct air navigation services provider managing air traffic control and airspace infrastructure

This model mirrors the institutional separation already adopted in many jurisdictions, where independent regulators supervise navigation service providers rather than compete with their own service delivery mandate.

What comes next?

Full implementation requires legislative approval and a transition period to transfer staff, licences and oversight functions to the new entities. The government has not yet published a completion timeline, and the pace of the split will depend on parliamentary action and the readiness of the successor institutions. For Nepal's carriers, the reform signals that Kathmandu intends to treat independent oversight as the foundation of any credible safety turnaround.