-KATHMANDU
Buddha Air is soon adding a ATR 72-212A aircraft to its fleet as the officials have already dispatched to take the delivery of an additional ATR-72 aircraft in Toulouse, informed the company.
Teams including flight crews, Operational Manager, Operation staff, B1/B2 Licensed Engineer, Quality Assurance Staff, Airworthiness Staff and official from Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) are in the team for receiving the additional aircraft. The aircraft will undergo CofA test tomorrow and will depart on June 24 as it is anticipated to land at Tribhuvan International Airport at June 28, 2018 under the command of Captain Pramod Thapa and Captain Rabi Shrestha.
The airline has already acquired the necessary permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and the Nepalese Registration of the new aircraft will be ‘9N-AMU’ as per a media release by the airline. After the addition of the new ATR-72, the company will have altogether 11 aircraft in its fleet. After the arrival of new aircraft, it will be easy for us to conduct timely-flights and repair other aircraft when required without affecting passengers, noted airline officials.
The 10.8 Year ATR 72-212A ‘9N-AMU’ was previously operated by Air Calédonie and later was sold to Kingfisher Airlines in India. ATR aircraft are considered cost-effective, environment friendly and less noisy as compared to other aircraft.
After buzzing the skies above Nepal for 20 years, the carrier Buddha Air now has also planned to spread its wings and set course for exotic foreign destinations. The carrier has announced powering itself from one-hour to three-hour or beyond flights, and entering the long-haul international market. The airline presently has been working for the commencement of flight in New Sector connecting the two international cities Nepalgunj to New Delhi.
Established on 23 April 1996, with a fleet of a Beechcraft 1900D manufactured by Raytheon Aircraft (now 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.
