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Nepal Airlines

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Nepal Airlines
नेपाल वायुसेवा
Nepāl Vāyusevā
IATA ICAO Call sign
RA RNA ROYAL NEPAL
Founded1 July 1958; 66 years ago (1958-07-01), as Royal Nepal Airlines
AOC #003/2000
HubsTribhuvan International Airport
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer programEverest Club
Fleet size6
Destinations36
Parent companyGovernment of Nepal
HeadquartersKantipath, Kathmandu, Bagmati Province, Nepal
Key peopleMr. Ubaraj Adhikari (Chairman)[1]
Employees1,400
WebsiteOfficial website

Nepal Airlines Corporation (Nepali: नेपाल वायुसेवा निगम, romanized: Nepāl Vāyusevā Nigam, lit. 'Nepal Air Service Corporation'), formerly known as Royal Nepal Airlines (शाही नेपाल वायुसेवा, Śāhī Nepāl Vāyusevā, 'Royal Nepal Air Service'), is the flag carrier of Nepal. Founded in 1958, it is the oldest airline of the country. Out of its main base at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, the airline operates domestic services within Nepal and medium-haul services in Asia. The airline's first aircraft was a Douglas DC-3, used to serve domestic routes and a handful of destinations in India.[2] The airline acquired its first jet aircraft, Boeing 727s, in 1972. As of February 2023, the airline operates a fleet of six aircraft. Since 2013, the airline has been on the list of air carriers banned in the European Union.[3]

History

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Former logo of Royal Nepal Airlines

1950s and 1960s: early years

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Royal Nepal Airlines HS 748 at Calcutta Dum Dum Airport in 1974

The airline was established in July 1958 as Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation with one Douglas DC-3. At the beginning, its services were limited to Simara, Pokhara and destinations in India, such as Patna, Calcutta and Delhi. In 1961, Pilatus Porter STOL aircraft joined the fleet, and in 1963 12-seater Chinese Feng Shou-2 Harvesters were brought into service, opening up the kingdom's more remote routes.[4]

A plane on the tarmac of an airport with a mountainous horizon
A Royal Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan Airport in March 1963

Nepal's geopolitical situation produced a strange, politically mixed fleet, which was typically financed through aid programs from the country of manufacture. Seven more Douglas DC-3s were added to the fleet between 1959 and 1964. Furthermore, China supplied a couple of Feng Shou-2 aircraft which did not enter scheduled service. Bell Helicopters leased from Singapore were also used for charters. Two Russian Mi-4 helicopters also flew on scheduled routes to remote points. The route network was expanded internally and externally, soon reaching Dhaka in what was then East Pakistan.[5]

In 1966, a turboprop Fokker F27 was added to the airline's fleet.

1970s and 1980s: The Jet Age and economic boom

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In 1970, RNAC acquired its first Hawker Siddeley HS 748 followed by Twin Otters in 1971 and Boeing 727s in 1972. Two Boeing 757s gradually replaced the airline's Boeing 727s in 1987.[4]

Royal Nepal Airlines Boeing 727-100 at Don Muang International Airport in 1986

Nepal had 181,000 tourist visitors in 1985, of which 80 per cent arrived by air. Royal Nepal Airlines carried 38 per cent of these tourist passengers, but that number was down from the company's peak market share of 50 per cent in 1979. Indian Airlines Corporation was RNAC's main competitor, but newer entrants in the business were also competing with RNAC for market share. These companies included Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, which started direct Kathmandu-Frankfurt service in cooperation with RNAC in October 1987 and now, other airlines are also wanting to do so.

At the time, Royal Nepal Airlines' network connected 38 domestic and 10 international destinations. RNAC was flying directly from Nepal to Hong Kong (home to many Gurkhas employed by the British Army) by 1988 using a Boeing 757. In April 1988, NAC and the Civil Aviation Administration of China cooperated to provide scheduled service between Kathmandu and Lhasa in the autonomous province of Tibet.[5]

RNAC reported revenues of $54.3 million in 1988–89, producing an operating profit of $17 million. With a workforce of 2,200, NAC had become the country's largest employer and largest earner of foreign currency, bringing in roughly $15 million a year from abroad. Seventy-five per cent of the company's passengers were foreign tourists. London, Dubai, Dhaka, Karachi, and Bombay were added to the route network during the 1980s.[5]

1990s and 2000s: corruption

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The domestic air market of the country was liberalized in 1992, and new competitors emerged: Necon Air, Cosmic Air, Everest Air, Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, and Sita Air. Nepal Airlines had its last Boeing 727 flight in 1992. By 1997, these four competitors accounted for 70 per cent of Nepal's domestic air traffic.[6]

Adding to the airline's struggles as the millennium approached, were allegations of corruption which periodically surfaced. One case involved Dinesh Dhamija, who later founded the Ebookers Internet travel site. Dhamija had been accused of receiving his post as director of RNAC's European operations in the early 1990s on account of cronyism with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Dhamija won a substantial settlement with the airline after a bitter court battle over these charges.[5]

In December 2000, a large scandal revolved around the lease of a Boeing 767 aircraft from Austria's Lauda Air, which entered service over protests from employees and government officials. The latter claimed the deal was unnecessary since NAC was not getting enough usage from its two existing Boeing 757s; further, the actual cost per flight hour of the Lauda jet ended up being $5,000 ($1,150 above the cost specified in the contract). RNAC chairman Haribhakta Shrestha was suspended during an investigation, along with other NAC executives; Nepal's tourism and civil aviation minister Tarani Dutt Chataut resigned soon after.[5]

In 2004, it was reported that the Government of Nepal had decided to sell off 49% of its stake in Nepal Airlines, to the private sector, and hand over management control, whilst retaining a 51% share. This would provide the investment to get the airline out of significant debt.[7]

The former chairman of Nepal Airlines, Ramagya Chaturvedi, was jailed for corruption in February 2005.[8]

Headquarters of Nepal Airlines

In September 2007, the airline confirmed that it had sacrificed two goats to appease a Hindu god following technical problems with one of its aircraft. Nepal Airlines said the animals were slaughtered in front of the plane, a Boeing 757, at Tribhuvan International Airport. The offering was made to Akash Bhairab, the Hindu god of sky protection, whose symbol is seen on the company's aircraft. The airline said that after Sunday's ceremony, the plane successfully completed a flight to Hong Kong. Raju KC, an airline official, was quoted as saying: “The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights.” The company did not say what the problem was, but reports in local media had blamed an electrical fault.[9]

From 2000 until 2010, there were no accidents with Nepal Airlines' aircraft involved. This is the longest period without such an incident in the history of the company.[citation needed]

The 2010s: addition of Airbus fleet

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Nepal Airlines Boeing 757-200 wearing old livery.

In 2009, at the Dubai Airshow, Nepal Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire two Airbus A320-200 aircraft with the plans to operate flights to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.[10]

In April 2014, Nepal Airlines unveiled a new plane after taking delivery of Xian MA-60 aircraft as a gift from AVIC company of China. The "Red and Blue strips" livery were replaced by the new livery, which resembles the flag of Nepal.

On 8 February 2015, Nepal Airlines received its first Airbus A320 aircraft, "Sagarmatha". On 30 April 2015, its second Airbus A320, "Lumbini," landed in Kathmandu. The aircraft was filled with 5 tonnes of aid material flown from the Airbus factory in Hamburg, to Nepal on delivery of the aircraft. The aid material was used in the relief effort for the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Both the aircraft were painted in the company's new livery.

In 2015, Nepal Airlines flew 253,658 travellers, up 22.87 per cent compared to the previous year, which saw the transport of 206,430 passengers.[11] Similarly, it flew 42,535 domestic air passengers in 2015, an increase of 21.60% compared to the previous year.[12]

In 2016, one of the airline's ageing Boeing 757-200 (Registration 9N-ACA) was retired after three decades of service because of the non-profitable operation with high maintenance costs; the airline sold it to BB Airways.

On 16 July 2017, Nepal Airlines launched an online ticket-booking service for international flights.

In 2018, Nepal Airlines acquired two Airbus A330-200s via Hi Fly and AAR Corporation. The first of the two jets arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on 28 June[13] and the second one on 26 July[14] the same year. The airline plans to expand its international destinations by operating the newly added wide-body jets to cities like Seoul Incheon, Tokyo, and Sydney. In November 2018, it was reported that Nepal Airlines was considering Ethiopian Airlines as a strategic partner ahead of a planned reorganization.[15]

In mid-March, NAC retired its remaining Boeing 757-200M after three decades of service to focus on an Airbus-only fleet. The company is likely to sell the aircraft soon.[16]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Nepal Airlines carried out rescue and evacuation charter flights while all of its scheduled flights were grounded from March 2020.[17]

In July 2020, Nepal Airlines retired its fleet of Chinese-made Xian MA60 and Harbin Y-12 aircraft, as they were found unsuited for operations in Nepal.[citation needed]

In May 2023, Nepal Airlines Corporation issued a tender notice regarding the proposed auction of its sole B757-200CB registered as 9N-ACB (msn 23863), along with the engines, tools, and inventory. The reserve price is USD 5.71 million. The plane has not flown since Nepal Airlines retired it in early 2018. Since then, it has remained parked at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport.[18]

Destinations

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Main article: List of Nepal Airlines destinations

Nepal Airlines currently operates flights to 11 international and several domestic destinations from its main hub at Tribhuvan International Airport. The airline also operates domestic flights from its regional hubs at Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Pokhara.

Codeshare agreements

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Fleet

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Current fleet

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As of January 2024, Nepal Airlines operates the following aircraft:[20]

Nepal Airlines Fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A320-200 2 — 8 150 158
Airbus A330-200 2 — 18 256 274 [21]
de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter 2 — — 19 19
Total 6 —

Historical fleet

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Nepal Airlines Historical Fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes Ref
Airbus A310-300 1993 1996 Leased [22]
Boeing 707 1983 1983 Leased
Boeing 727-100 1972 1993
Boeing 757-200 1987 2017
Boeing 757-200M 1987 2019 Parked [16]
Boeing 767-300 2000 2001 Leased [22]
Douglas DC-3 1958 1973
Fokker F27 Friendship 1966 1970
Fong Shou-2 Harvester 1963 1965
Harbin Y-12 2014 2020 [23][24]
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 1970 1996
Pilatus Porter 1961 1998
Xian MA60 2014 2020 [23][25]

Cabins and services

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International

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Shangri-La Class

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Shangri-La Class is Nepal Airlines' business class on all international flights. Shangri-La Class consists of 18 seats on Airbus A330 aircraft with a six-abreast configuration and 8 seats on the Airbus A320 aircraft with a four-abreast configuration. Nepal Airlines serves Shangri-La Class passengers a gourmet meal. Passengers are also provided with an array of drinks to choose from, including complimentary wine, cocktail, vodka, and a range of cold drinks.[26]

Economy Class

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Nepal Airlines serves economy class passengers a meal, with options of either fish, chicken or mutton for their economy class passengers. Passengers can also request a vegetarian meal at the time of reservation.[27] The economy seats in Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with IFE system with options including 40 Asian movies, 30 TV programs and 20 music albums.[citation needed]

Domestic

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Economy Class

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All of Nepal Airlines' domestic fleets are configured with economy class only. Since most of the domestic flights are less than an hour-long, passengers are provided with complimentary candies and ear cotton only.[citation needed]

Accidents and incidents

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sushil Ghimire appointed Nepal Airlines executive chairman". The Kathmandu Post. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  2. ^ Joshi, Subash (3 February 2021). "AN ANALYSIS ON PRESENT SCENARIO OF NEPAL AIRLINES CORPORATION AND ITS WAY FORWARD". IOE Journal. I: 15.
  3. ^ "EU ban on airline companies from Nepal to continue". Onlinekhabar. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Brief History of Nepal Airlines". Nepal Airlines. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e "History of Nepal Airline Corporation – FundingUniverse". Fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  6. ^ R.E.G. Davies, Airlines of Asia Since 1920
  7. ^ "Nepal airlines offers stake to Indian operators". Tribune India. 11 November 2004. Archived from the original on 4 December 2004.
  8. ^ "Former NAC' NOC chief slapped 18-month jail". The Himalayan Times. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Goats sacrificed to fix Nepal jet". BBC. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  10. ^ ATW Daily News Dubai Airshow News Archived 19 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine 18 November 2009
  11. ^ Prasain, Sangam (4 April 2016). "Int'l passenger traffic drops for first time in 13 years". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  12. ^ Prasain, Sangam (9 April 2016). "Air passenger movement falls for 4th straight year". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Nepal Airlines' new Airbus A330-200 lands at TIA". The Himalayan Times. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  14. ^ "2nd wide-body aircraft of NAC arrives". The Himalayan Times. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  15. ^ Giri, Anil; Prasain, Sangam (12 November 2018). "Ethiopian carrier woos Nepal Airlines with tie-up offer". Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  16. ^ a b Shrestha, Biju (21 March 2019). "End of an Era!! NAC retires Boeing 757; Aviation Enthusiasts show dismay over no retirement flight for Boeing757". Aviation Nepal.
  17. ^ "NAC and Himalaya Airlines suspend flights to Doha". The Himalayan Times. 11 March 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Tender Document for Sale of B757-200CB" (PDF). Nepal Airlines Corporation. 19 May 2023.
  19. ^ "NAC, Druk Air signs codesharing pact". Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  20. ^ "NAC calls tender for auction of Boeing aircraft". The Himalayan Times. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  21. ^ "NAC's second wide-body aircraft arrives (In photos)". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Royal Nepal Airlines". Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  23. ^ a b "Nepal Airlines retires MA-60s, Y12Es". Ch-Aviation. 17 July 2020.
  24. ^ "Nepal Airlines Corporation, Chinese company sign six aircraft deal, Aircraft in Nepal, Nepal Aircraft, Local Airlines, Nepal Airlines – Nepal Tours Destination". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  25. ^ "Nepal Airline 9N-AKR New aircraft landed at tribhuvan international airport (Photo Feature)". Aviation Nepal. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  26. ^ "Business Class". Nepal Airlines. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  27. ^ "Economy Class". Nepal Airlines. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Aviation Safety Network". Retrieved 18 November 2006.
  29. ^ "Pilatus Porter History S/N 347". PC 6. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, DC-3, 9N-AAH, accident in the vicinity of Tulachan Dhuri, 1 August 1962" (PDF). Department of Civil Aviation of Nepal. 14 December 1962. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  31. ^ "CRASH OF A PILATUS PC-6/340 PORTER IN BARSE DHURI". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  32. ^ "Pilatus Porter History S/N 346". PC 6. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  33. ^ "Nepal Magazine Archived 2 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine". Retrieved 18 November 2006.
  34. ^ McDonald, Bernadette; Hillary, Sir Edmund (October 2012). Keeper of the Mountains. RMB. p. 113. ISBN 978-1927330159.
  35. ^ "Hillary's Kin Killed In Nepal Plane Crash". The New York Times. 1 April 1975. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Aviation Safety Report 2019" (PDF). Kathmandu: Civil Aviation Authority Nepal. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  37. ^ "CRASH OF A PILATUS PC-6 TURBO PORTER IN BIRATNAGAR: 10 KILLED". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  38. ^ "CRASH OF A PILATUS PC-6 TURBO PORTER IN NAMCHE BAZAR: 1 KILLED". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Pilatus Porter History S/N 755". PC 6. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  40. ^ Hradecky, Simon (16 May 2013). "Accident: Nepal DHC6 at Jomsom on May 16th 2013, runway excursion". AVHerald. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  41. ^ Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: Nepal DHC6 near Khidim on Feb 16th 2014, aircraft impacted terrain". Avherald.com. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
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Media related to Nepal Airlines at Wikimedia Commons

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