newstodate.aero
Apr 29, 2015 (newstodate): Four days after the earthquake catastrophe in Nepal, the situation for international relief operations remains dull.
-The country's infrastructure is obviously inadequate to cope with the needs arising from the disaster and while aid, rescue teams and material supplies are streaming into the region severe snags are still hindering a coordinated and efficient over-all relief effort, according to an experienced aircraft broker in a phone interview with newstodate.
-We are aware that one European relief organization is currently stuck with three aircraft in India pending permission to land in Kathmandu, and other reports are that several aircraft with relief materials and teams are standing at airports around the region while still denied access to Nepal.
-The country's airport is unable to handling air traffic at this scale, and as the runway has been affected by the quake strict limitations on aircraft payloads have been enforced.
-Due to shortage of equipment such as hi-loaders, the operations would call for self-sustaining IL-76 freighters that may, however, only fly in with max 25 tonnes of cargo which puts further stress on the situation.
-This is really a downward spiraling as smaller aircraft payloads will lead to more flight operations and a congestion that is hard to manage for the airport. Also fueling is a challenge now at Kathmandu Airport.
-Add to this that it remains extremely difficult to move rescue teams and relief supplies into the outlying areas that are probably even harder hit by the disaster.
-As in any relief operation, time is a critical factor. A break-through is urgently needed, and the situation calls for the Nepalese government to officially hand over the management of the emergency to an efficient international body.
-The country's infrastructure is obviously inadequate to cope with the needs arising from the disaster and while aid, rescue teams and material supplies are streaming into the region severe snags are still hindering a coordinated and efficient over-all relief effort, according to an experienced aircraft broker in a phone interview with newstodate.
-We are aware that one European relief organization is currently stuck with three aircraft in India pending permission to land in Kathmandu, and other reports are that several aircraft with relief materials and teams are standing at airports around the region while still denied access to Nepal.
-The country's airport is unable to handling air traffic at this scale, and as the runway has been affected by the quake strict limitations on aircraft payloads have been enforced.
-Due to shortage of equipment such as hi-loaders, the operations would call for self-sustaining IL-76 freighters that may, however, only fly in with max 25 tonnes of cargo which puts further stress on the situation.
-This is really a downward spiraling as smaller aircraft payloads will lead to more flight operations and a congestion that is hard to manage for the airport. Also fueling is a challenge now at Kathmandu Airport.
-Add to this that it remains extremely difficult to move rescue teams and relief supplies into the outlying areas that are probably even harder hit by the disaster.
-As in any relief operation, time is a critical factor. A break-through is urgently needed, and the situation calls for the Nepalese government to officially hand over the management of the emergency to an efficient international body.