Government of Nepal is preparing to sign Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Australia as well as planning to sign revised Air Service Agreement with United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Thailand in agreement with Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) plan to extend international services.
Pramod Nepal, undersecretary at Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) stated that the government has been preparing to sign first memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding ASA with Australia. The government from both countries have the same opinion by allowing Nepali airlines to operate 7 flights weekly to major Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
As per the information, Nepal government is in the process of preparing a final MoU based on the feedback and hope to sign the ASA at once after receiving optimistic response from the Australian government on the draft MoU. Australian government has suggested that the agreement incorporated provisions related to fifth freedom, unrestricted cargo and code-sharing, among others.
In the current situation, Nepali student are migrating to Australia for the purpose of academic educations. After signing ASAs with Australia, it will be easy and comfortable for both airlines and students.
Nepal signed MoU with UAE for the first time in 1999, the two countries had signed the revised MoUs in 2013 and 2015. Similarly, Nepal signed ASAs with the Thai government in 1971 and 2004.
According to Undersecretary Pramod Nepal, the country is hoping to ink a revised agreement that would increase the number of flights between the two countries from 28 weekly flights at present. He also informed that the government has expected the revised agreement to be set in the near future.
Nepal has signed bilateral ASAs with 38 countries which allow operating 214 flights per day to and from Nepal to various destinations.
