Buddha Air, the leading airline of Nepal celebrates 7th birthday of its hangar at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) today.
Buddha Air inaugurated their hangar on April 18, 2012 . The carrier is the only airline in Nepal to have a state of the art closed door hangar that is part 145 Aircraft Maintenance Organization from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
The hangar is located on the premises of TIA occupying area of 37,000 square feet where its Technical Department, Flight Operations, Ground Operations and Security Department are operated from the hangar. It means that the hangar allows for safety inspections and audits to be performed within country rather than being flown abroad for maintenance. The proximity of these departments allows employees to communicate and coordinate their efforts, which are imperative for operational safety.
The hangar also has the largest spares and special tool inventory among all private airlines in Nepal for ATR 72-500, ATR 42-320 and Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. Worth approximately US$ 13 million, the spares minimize the time for the non-operability of the aircraft and maintain safety.
Likewise, the hangar can accommodate an Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 in the 15500 square feet ground floor area.
Buddha Air as been awarded as the best domestic airline company of the nation by Frost and Sullivan Awards recently in a program conducted at Kathmandu.
Established on 23 April 1996, with a fleet of a Beechcraft 1900D manufactured by Raytheon Aircraft (Presently as Hawker Beechcraft) is a largest airline operator of Nepal today with a fleet of 10 aircraft, an employee base of 850, occupies 63 percent market share of domestic flights and is operating domestics as well as international service in India and Bhutan.
