Nepal and China is scheduled to hold discussions – on Thursday and Friday – on revising the air services agreement (ASA).
A Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) team – led by joint secretary Suresh Acharya – left for China today to hold discussions on revising the ASA, according to the ministry that has prepared to ask the northern neighbour to allow Nepali airliners to fly to Chinese cities.
Currently, Chinese airlines have direct flights to Nepal, whereas not a single Nepali airline flies to China directly, though the number of Chinese flights coming to Nepal has reached 70 per week. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has started the process to operate flights to China, whereas Himalaya Airlines also unveiled its plan to fly to China. Howvere, they have not got any slots to fly to China against the ASA between the two neighbours.
Earlier, the two countries had signed bilateral ASA in 2014, under which both countries were allowed to operate 56 flights a week in any airport of the respective countries. Due to the agreement, Chinese airline companies including Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Sichuan Airlines and Tibet Airlines are operating direct flights to Nepal from China, but Nepali Airlines have been ‘barred’ technically to fly to China.
The national flag carrier – a month ago – had submitted all the required documents to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate direct flights to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. But the Chinese authorities had mentioned that they will first need to conduct a safety audit before permitting NAC to operate flights to the northern neighbour.
The NAC is ready for safety audit as a Chinese team is coming to Kathmandu in October for the safety audit.
Though, China is a very significant market for the Nepali tourism industry, failure of the Nepali Airlines to fly to China has hit the number of Chinese tourists – who are the second largest travellers to Nepal – also in the wake of Visit Nepal 2020.
A Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) team – led by joint secretary Suresh Acharya – left for China today to hold discussions on revising the ASA, according to the ministry that has prepared to ask the northern neighbour to allow Nepali airliners to fly to Chinese cities.
Currently, Chinese airlines have direct flights to Nepal, whereas not a single Nepali airline flies to China directly, though the number of Chinese flights coming to Nepal has reached 70 per week. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has started the process to operate flights to China, whereas Himalaya Airlines also unveiled its plan to fly to China. Howvere, they have not got any slots to fly to China against the ASA between the two neighbours.
Earlier, the two countries had signed bilateral ASA in 2014, under which both countries were allowed to operate 56 flights a week in any airport of the respective countries. Due to the agreement, Chinese airline companies including Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Sichuan Airlines and Tibet Airlines are operating direct flights to Nepal from China, but Nepali Airlines have been ‘barred’ technically to fly to China.
The national flag carrier – a month ago – had submitted all the required documents to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate direct flights to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. But the Chinese authorities had mentioned that they will first need to conduct a safety audit before permitting NAC to operate flights to the northern neighbour.
The NAC is ready for safety audit as a Chinese team is coming to Kathmandu in October for the safety audit.
Though, China is a very significant market for the Nepali tourism industry, failure of the Nepali Airlines to fly to China has hit the number of Chinese tourists – who are the second largest travellers to Nepal – also in the wake of Visit Nepal 2020.
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