The Twin Otter DHC-6-300 ‘9N-ABU’ belonging to National Flag Carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is set to operate soon as its CFA (Certification of Airworthiness) test is in final phase. Engineering Deputy Director of NAC Mr. Poshak Gyanwali said, “The CFA test of ‘9N-ABU’ is in its last phase and will require two to three days to complete. The aircraft will come into operation soon after the completion of CFA test.”
Normally, it takes only 15 days to complete CFA test but it took one month for us, he added. The maintenance and required checks of the aircraft is going on in NAC’s hangar at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
Another Twin Otter DHC-6 ‘9N-ABT’ is conducting its flight operation while DHC-6 ‘9N-ABX’ is waiting for complete replacement of both engines and landing gears. However, the modification of ‘9N-ABX’ has not expedited due to maintenance delays.
Previously, the two Twin Otter; ‘9N-ABU’ and ‘9N-ABT’ initiated its flight operation after the replacement of its fire extinguisher at their engine infrastructure.
NAC’s domestic flight operation is currently carried out by Harbin Y-12e, MA-60 and Twin Otter DHC-6 aircraft.
Recently, NAC’s factory made Chinese aircraft Harbin Y-12e ‘9N-AKT’ on its schedule flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara met a technical glitch on its engine after landing at Pokhara Airstrip requiring Army personnel to push the aircraft for taxiing. Due to occasional technical problems, NAC’s domestic flight operations get disturbed often.
