National flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is in final phase to operate flights to Japan after a long gap of more than a decade. The corporation cancelled the flight to Japan stating lack of aircraft before.
The airlines used to operate 2 weekly flights before and now will be operating 3 weekly flights from Airbus A330 wide body aircraft.
Executive chairman of the corporation stated that all necessary preparation to operate direct flight to Japan has been accomplished and they are only waiting for final response from Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for approval. The corporation will operate flights in a month after receiving approval from Japanese regulatory body and the corporation has also allocated slot to operate flights to Osaka Airport.
NAC has also made preparation to send other officials along with ground handling personnel to Japan station as the corporation will be performing direct flight. Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner was back in Kathmandu couple of days ago and Corporation commercial department officials stated that they have sent flight permission request and flight scheduled as requested by Japan.
The corporation have made flight schedule which will take around 15 hours for Kathmandu-Osaka-Kathmandu flight. The corporation has made scheduled before, during and after country’s sole international airport Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) runway maintenance.
Around a week ago, Foreign minister of Japan Mr. Taro Kono visited Nepal who gave positive response for flight approval.
Currently, Chinese airlines and Thai airways perform flights to carry passengers to and from Japan with around 4-5 hours of transit. After the direct flight, it is expected to eradicate problem of having to wait during transit.
The corporation will also be making necessary preparation to connect flight to Guangzhou in China immediately after operating flights to japan. China has also been positive about the flight and stated to allow flight from morning 1 to 6 which is expected to be altered during various season.
Currently, Chinese airlines like China Eastern, China Southern, Cathay Dragon, Air China, Tibet Airline and Sichuan Airlines operate to Nepal from China.
Nepal Airlines does not operate to China presently, but has got approval to fly to Beijing, Shanghai, Lhasa, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu and Xi’an whereas previously, NAC used to fly to Shanghai and was discontinued due to a lack of aircraft in 2008.
NAC has already started preparation for flights to Japan the airlines country manager has already been appointed who stated that NAC will operate to Japan in around a month.
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.
The corporation operates international flights with its 2 wide body A330 aircraft, 2 narrow body A 320 and 1 Boeing aircraft.
