-KATHMANDU
Private carrier Shree Airlines is in final preparation to receive it’s first as well as country’s first Canadian turboprop aircraft; Bombardier Dash 8 Q400.
The carriers’ first Dash-8-400 to commence its delivery acquiring Nepalese Civil Registration ‘9N-ANF -MSN 4147’, flew from Bombardier’s facility in Tucson (TUS) to Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on August 1, 2019.
It was formerly operated by Horizon Air as N420QX from January 2007 until it was stored at Bombardier’s Tucson facility in January 2018.
Similarly, Second Dash-8-400 acquiring Nepalese Civil Registration ‘9N-ANE’- MSN 4145 flew from Bombardier’s facility in Tucson (TUS) to Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on August 7th. It was ex-Horizon Air N419QX, withdrawn from use in October 2017. They will both receive maintenance with Sky service in Toronto for several weeks before proceeding overseas on delivery.
Anil Manandhar, Corporate Manager of Shree Airlines stated that the carrier is working for the overfly flight permission for the aircraft to join its base in Kathmandu. The aircraft is anticipated to join its base by next week and will be ferried to Nepal by foreign flight crews stated Manandhar.
Shree Airline is a new user of Bombardier’s family fixed-wing aircraft, acquired to feed its growing sightseeing, tourism, and mountaineering charter flight operations and improve commercial service within Nepal.
It currently operates four Bombardier aircraft: two CRJ-200ERs delivered in April and May 2017, and two CRJ-700s delivered on June 2017 and June 2018. Both CRJ-700s are leased from Canadian lessor Regional 1.
Shree Airlines was founded in 1999 operating helicopters serving Nepal, primarily on religious tours and carrying expeditions to mountain base camps. It currently operates Nepal’s largest helicopter fleet consisting of six MIL Mi-17 and two Airbus AS350B3e for Medevac and Casevac operations.
