Himalaya Airlines is going to begin the first direct service between Kathmandu and Beijing by the end of October, which is going to give a major boost to the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign.
The authorities hope to attract at least half a million visitors from northern neighbour China and the start of the Himalaya Airlines will help achieve the targeted numerb of Chinese visitors, according to Himalaya Airlines vice-president of administration Vijay Shrestha. “The private airliner plans to operate three weekly flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport,” he said, confirming that China has granted operating authorisation, and preparations are being made to conduct the maiden flight to the Chinese capital. “The airline is in the process of acquiring an Airbus A319 narrow-body jet that can carry up to 160 passengers for the Beijing flight.”
As Himalaya Airlines becomes the first Nepali carrier to fly directly to China, the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines is also waiting for clearance from Chinese authorities to fly to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.
Nepal and China – in July – signed a revised bilateral air services agreement (ASA) allowing 98 weekly flights between the two countries on a reciprocal basis, increasing the flights from the current 70 flights a week.
Not a single Nepali airline flies to China at present, though five Chinese carriers including Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines and Tibet Airlines operate flights to Kathmandu.
Nepal Airlines used to fly to Japanese city of Osaka via Shanghai until 2008 under fifth freedom rights. Bugt with the closure of Osaka flights, NAC couldnot use the rights too.
Nepal Airlines, though applied in 2015, for landing permission at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, it is still pending.
After the revision of the ASA in July in Beijing, the northern neighbour also agreed to expedite the process of issuing operating authorisation to Nepal Airlines and Himalayan Airlines. The Chinese authority is visiting Kathmandu in October to conduct an internal audit of Nepal Airlines – a procedure before allowing the carrier to operate services to China – which is expected to give the NAC chance to fly to Guangzhou.
According to the spokesperson of Nepal Airlines Ganesh Bahadur Chand, “The airlines had requested Chinese authority to come in August, but due to their busy schedule, they have scheduled their visit for October. “Once the audit clears NAC, it will connect Kathmandu with Guangzhou.”
The Himalaya Airlines also is planning to operate Kathmandu-Lhasa and Kathmandu-Beijing services by October.
Nepal is planning to bring in at least 500,000 Chinese tourists in 2020. The arrivals from China witnessed an increament of 46.8 per cent to 153,602 in 2018.
The authorities hope to attract at least half a million visitors from northern neighbour China and the start of the Himalaya Airlines will help achieve the targeted numerb of Chinese visitors, according to Himalaya Airlines vice-president of administration Vijay Shrestha. “The private airliner plans to operate three weekly flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport,” he said, confirming that China has granted operating authorisation, and preparations are being made to conduct the maiden flight to the Chinese capital. “The airline is in the process of acquiring an Airbus A319 narrow-body jet that can carry up to 160 passengers for the Beijing flight.”
As Himalaya Airlines becomes the first Nepali carrier to fly directly to China, the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines is also waiting for clearance from Chinese authorities to fly to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.
Nepal and China – in July – signed a revised bilateral air services agreement (ASA) allowing 98 weekly flights between the two countries on a reciprocal basis, increasing the flights from the current 70 flights a week.
Not a single Nepali airline flies to China at present, though five Chinese carriers including Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines and Tibet Airlines operate flights to Kathmandu.
Nepal Airlines used to fly to Japanese city of Osaka via Shanghai until 2008 under fifth freedom rights. Bugt with the closure of Osaka flights, NAC couldnot use the rights too.
Nepal Airlines, though applied in 2015, for landing permission at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, it is still pending.
After the revision of the ASA in July in Beijing, the northern neighbour also agreed to expedite the process of issuing operating authorisation to Nepal Airlines and Himalayan Airlines. The Chinese authority is visiting Kathmandu in October to conduct an internal audit of Nepal Airlines – a procedure before allowing the carrier to operate services to China – which is expected to give the NAC chance to fly to Guangzhou.
According to the spokesperson of Nepal Airlines Ganesh Bahadur Chand, “The airlines had requested Chinese authority to come in August, but due to their busy schedule, they have scheduled their visit for October. “Once the audit clears NAC, it will connect Kathmandu with Guangzhou.”
The Himalaya Airlines also is planning to operate Kathmandu-Lhasa and Kathmandu-Beijing services by October.
Nepal is planning to bring in at least 500,000 Chinese tourists in 2020. The arrivals from China witnessed an increament of 46.8 per cent to 153,602 in 2018.
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