Flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has high possibility to receive flight permission to operate direct flight to Japan. The corporation will probably receive permission to operate to Japan starting this July.
The corporation has a probability to receive permission to operate 3 weekly to Kansai International Airport, Osaka from Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) after the Ground Handling issue was resolved.
According to airlines official there has been high possibility of operating flights from July 1st or from July 4th. The will be operating to Japan at 2:30 AM at night in Kathmandu-Japan sector whereas the flight from Japan to Kathmandu will take place at 1:55 PM Japan local time.
The corporation will be waiting for permission form JCAB and had previously made provision of operating flights within 40 days after receiving permission from JCAB. However, the flight has been scheduled to July if the airline receives permission soon or later due to runway renovation project going on at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and the time shift provided by Kansai airport at night time.
Previously, flight to Osaka was uncertain as ground handling company at the airport, Cathay Kansai Terminal Service (CKTS) had not allowed permission to the airline. However, now the issues have been resolved leading airline to receive permission to operate long-haul flight.
The corporation will now be working on marketing and other to make flight operation to Japan.
The corporation will finally be using the wide-body Airbus A330 in long-haul route and officials from Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) will also be flying to Japan on the first flight to make flight inspection after receiving the permission.
NAC has also already appointed Santosh Pandey as Country Manager of NAC at Japan and he has also made necessary preparation for catering, ticket counter, ground handling, security etc to make flight successful.
Corporation previously used to operate to Japan from its Boeing 757 aircraft which will take around 15 hours in Kathmandu-Osaka-Kathmandu sector but was discontinued due to a lack of aircraft in 2008.
After successful flight to Osaka airport, the corporation will be making preparation to operate flight to Narita International Airport and has already sent proposal to operate to the airport to JCAB.
Allotting 400 weekly seats, Nepal and Japan had signed the BASA on February 17, 1993. Before the suspension of the national flag carrier on the route due to lack of aircraft, it used to fly to Osaka via Shanghai till 2008.
