NAC to gain lost glory, sending $500,000 advance to Airbus tomorrow

The ailing national flag carrier will regain its lost glory as it will get two aircraft from Airbus by 2015 for international flights, according to minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation Ram Kumar Shrestha.

Addressing the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) staff here today, he said that NAC will also get aircraft from China for domestic flights. "The process of getting aircraft from China has also been expedited," he said, adding that with the new aircraft NAC will operate transparently in a competitive manner.

After the corporation gets the Airbus aircraft, it will add destinations too, Shrestha said. "Until the corporation gets the new aircraft, it could get aircraft on lease to fly on international routes, apart from proper maintenance of the aircraft it has now."

General manager of NAC Madan Kharel, on the occasion, promised to improve the service quality of the national flag carrier. "NAC has already started talks with the Employees Provident Fund for loans to purchase Airbus aircraft," he informed.

NAC needs $150 million to purchase the two Airbus aircraft.

The corporation will send $500,000 as advance to Airbus tomorrow to buy two narrow-body A320-200 aircraft.

NAC and European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, had signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last Friday, three years after the initial agreement.