National flag carrier to change livery

The national flag carrier is going to change its 26-year-old livery to re-brand itself.

Nepal Airlines Corporation today asked designers to take part in a free competition to design a new livery that will reflect the country's nationality, religion, national flag, colour. "But the current image of Akash Bhairav should also be in the new design," said the corporation that has been finding it hard to maintain its image in recent years due to lack of aircraft and also mismanagement fuelled by the red tape.

Introduced in 1987, the current insignia features red and blue stripes – the colours from the national flag – on the aircraft's tail with Nepal Airlines written in blue, along with a Hindu deity Akash Bhairav, the protector of the sky. Before 1987, the aircraft used to have national flag painted on its tail.

 Though, a new livery might give a boost to the ailing national flag carrier image but it needs to improve its customer service and maintain the flight schedule time to improve its reputation.

But the airlines is hopeful of improving its image with the arrival of its new aircraft from the European aircraft maker Airbus. "The new aircraft with new insignia might help boost not only the airlines reputation but also financial health," according to the airlines that has signed a aircraft purchase agreement with the European plane maker to buy two Airbus A320-200 jets on June 27.

According to the agreement, the Airbus will deliver the first aircraft in February 2015 and the second one in April 2015.

Likewise, the NAC is adding new aircraft in its domestic fleet buying six aircraft from China that has pledged to provide a 19-seater Harbin Y-12e and a 58-seater MA60 (Modern Ark 60) turboprop as gifts.

However, the government plans to buy four more aircraft – three Harbin Y-12e and an MA60 – with soft loan from China EXIM Bank.

Currently, the airlines has two age-old Boeing 757s serving four international destinations and a single Twin Otter serving remote sectors.

Airlines operators ask to revise aircraft policy

The airlines operators have asked the government to revise its policy on the import of older aircraft. The government policy encourages the purchasing or leasing of aircraft newer than 5 years old, but operators and experts say that none of the airlines can afford to buy a Twin Otter that costs at around $7 million to operate in remote sectors. The government restricts the import of non-pressurised aircraft like helicopters and single-engine planes that are more than 20 years old. The country's aviation safety record is on IATA radar due to increasing air crash.