Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: The government has appointed Mukesh Dangol as the new Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), ending weeks of speculation over leadership at Nepal’s aviation regulator.
A Cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to appoint Dangol to the top position at CAAN, according to government sources.
Dangol was selected from a pool of 21 applicants who had applied for the position following a public vacancy announcement issued by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Baisakh 12 (late April) with a seven-day application deadline.
Sources said the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation recommended only Dangol’s name to the Cabinet for appointment.
Dangol currently serves as a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and has prior experience leading CAAN in an acting capacity.
He had previously been assigned the role of CAAN Director General in the third week of Mangsir after former Director General Pradeep Adhikari was suspended following a corruption case.
At the time, then Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who was also overseeing the tourism ministry portfolio, appointed Dangol as Director General on Mangsir 19.
However, his earlier stint in the role lasted for only around two weeks.
Former Tourism Minister Anil Kumar Sinha later appointed CAAN Deputy Director General Dev Chandra Lal Karn as acting chief on Poush 4, shortly after assuming leadership of the tourism ministry.
Dangol is an engineer with expertise in air traffic control and aviation engineering, making him one of the few technically experienced bureaucrats to lead Nepal’s aviation authority.
He was promoted from section officer to Joint Secretary around 14 months ago and secured his position in the administrative service through a competitive process in the second week of Chaitra 2081.
According to officials, Dangol ranked first among 11 successful candidates selected through the open category during the promotion process.
Before becoming a Joint Secretary, he had served as an officer for 11 years, building experience in Nepal’s aviation and engineering sectors.
Dangol’s appointment comes at a crucial period for Nepal’s aviation sector, which faces increasing pressure to strengthen safety oversight, airport management, and regulatory reforms.
The Civil Aviation Authority has also been under scrutiny over governance issues, infrastructure bottlenecks, and international aviation safety standards, making the new leadership appointment closely watched by both industry stakeholders and international aviation agencies.
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