Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has initiated its steps for procurement of two Chinese Aircraft Harbin Y-12e from China after the Dashain.
According to the officials, a team of Engineering and Technician from NAC will be dispatched after the Dashain to inspect the aircraft.
On November 29, five years back, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) signed an agreement for 2 Xian MA-60’s and four Harbin Y-12e’s aircraft. The AVIC Corporation on the behalf of the purchase agreement has provided a MA-60 and Harbin Y-12E aircraft as a benefaction to Nepal Airlines Corporation worth 2.94 Billion Nepalese rupees.
Once the aircraft are received, they will be deployed along domestic routes which had previously been suspended due to a lack of aircraft. “Demand for air seats in the domestic sector has grown several-fold due to the poor state of national highways. So it is a bad idea to keep the planes parked in China,” said Nepal Airlines’ Managing Director, Sugat Ratna Kansakar.
With the motive of occupying domestic aviation market, NAC had signed an agreement with AVIC Corporation of China for the purchase of new aircraft after decades on the corporation history. The aircraft are being a burden for NAC following its erratic performance in the flight operation.
There was a lot of debate on the Chinese manufactured aircraft as the newly bought aircraft possess a Load restriction but in fact, the MA-60 acquired by the corporation can conduct its flights to airports of Terai region with all 56 passengers on-board from Tribhuvan International Airport but it can’t take off with all passengers on-board from airports of Terai region due to the payload. The MA-60 aircraft of NAC possess the load restrictions due to the runway lengths of Terai airports and extra fuel in the aircraft forces the corporation to vacant 15 seats for takeoff from Terai Airport.
Modern Arc (MA-60) aircraft acquired by NAC are also operated by the various airlines in the world. Instead of generating profit from current Chinese aircraft, NAC is bearing more loss so somehow NAC now must amend their policy for Fuel, while the runway length of airport can’t be extended. The corporation engineers have suggested reviewing the fuel policy as the MA60 has been flying with 25 percent extra fuel so it cannot carry a full load of passengers.
The corporation had bought a MA60 and a Y-12e aircraft after AVIC guaranteed that it the company would provide the necessary spare parts for soaring high in the Nepali skies.
Previously, the corporation had delayed the import procedure of remaining two Y12-E aircraft ordered from Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, China due to lack of qualified flight crew for the smooth operation of the aircraft.
The AVIC had completed the manufactured process of its Harbin Y-12E aircraft for Nepal in early 2015. The aircraft are placed outside its factory hangar since then holding Airlines Corporation livery along with the Nepalese Registration.
The corporation has requested the Finance Ministry for the approval to release the payment through EXIM Bank. NAC need along need to pay 40 percent of the third installment and the final delivery payment for AVIC Corporation.
The corporation had also all set to carry out a test flight of its Harbin Y-12E aircraft to the world’s extreme airport, Lukla Airport after the end of this monsoon season. Previously (on November 23), NAC had scheduled to carry out a test landing of its Chinese made Harbin Y12-E to Lukla Airport but the plan failed due to the lack of Instructor Pilots. NAC Engineering Dy. Director stated that “We have all set and the instructor pilots also agree to have a test landing at Lukla Airport”.
After the arrival of the two Harbin Y-12E aircraft, the corporation’s fleet will feature four Harbin Y-12E, two MA-60, three Twin Otters towards the domestic sector whereas two Airbus A320 and One Boeing 757 for International Destinations.
