The management team of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has promised to bring the grounded Chinese aircraft in operation within 10 days to Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Rabindra Adhikari.
NAC officials showed some concern about Chinese aircraft while briefing the minister on Monday. With that concern, senior officials of corporation have expressed commitment to bring the Harbin Y-12e aircraft within 10 days.
Minister questioned the NAC officials why to buy aircraft if they could not operate it at time. One of the senior officer of NAC has said “Our management has promised that the aircraft will fly within 10 days.”
Currently, NAC has six Chinese aircraft; 4 Harbin Y-12e and 2 Xian MA-60. Four out of them are in out of operations due to lack of pilots. For this, NAC has prepared to bring pilots from China. However, the Chinese pilots have demanded huge salary. Initially talks with 3 pilots were done but 2 are only interested to come to Nepal for salary of $9000 per month. NAC have been negotiating with the Chinese pilots at $7000 per month and have asked for Identity and certificate of the interested pilots.
All 4 Harbin Y-12 E aircraft are grounded at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) since first week of March. This has caused huge financial loss to the corporation and the question has risen against the capability of corporations’ management.
There is only 1 pilot in Nepal who is capable of flying the Harbin Y-12E but he has been in sick leave since a week ago thus flight to Pokhara, Bharatpur and Simara from the aircraft is halted. Newly brought 2 Harbin Y-12E is still waiting for its maiden flight though it has been a month since it landed in TIA.
NAC in other hand said that they are trying to bring Chinese pilots as many copilots in Nepal still require more qualification fly the aircraft. Very less number of domestic pilots in China are good at English so to bring Chinese pilots is also troublesome.
