Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is prepared to start its scheduled commercial flight on the Kathmandu-Osaka-Kathmandu route from next week, after 12 years. Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) permitted the NAC to resume its flight to Osaka after Nepal and Japan signed Exchange of Notes on revising the Air Service Agreement (ASA) earlier this year.
The state-owned airlines – organising a press meet in Kathmandu today – confirmed that the corporation is all set to fly to Osaka from August 29. “The national flag carrier will use Airbus A330-200 aircraft with the capacity of 274 passengers for Osaka flights,” the executive chairman of the NAC Madan Kharel informed, adding that the first flight to Osaka has received a positive response from the public. “Bookings will pick up pace from the last week of September.”
Kharel, however, said that the seat occupancy is likely to improve from October. “Within one year of the flight operation, I assure you that the flight occupancy will be more than 80 per cent per flight,” he added. “With the current booking trend, we are expecting at least 100 passengers.”
At least 30 officials, including tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai, are also flying on the median flight to Osaka on August 29.
The national flag carrier had initially planned to fly to Narita International Airport but as the Japanese authorities refused to give permission to fly to the other two cities, the NAC decided to fly to Osaka for some time.
Likewise, the corporation had planned to fly to Osaka from July 5. But the poor booking forced it to postpone the flights to August. “The non-stop seven-hour flight on Kathmandu-Osaka route is scheduled to operate three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – and depart Kathmandu at 2:30 am and land Osaka at 11:55 am (local time),” he said, adding that the NAC has introduced promotional fare for the flights at Rs 36,999 for one way and Rs 72,814 for round trip, reducing the earlier fixed rates of Rs 45,000 and Rs 75,000- Rs 90,000, respectively. “The promotional fare will be valid till September,” Kharel added.
NAC is resuming direct flights to Osaka after a hiatus of 12 years. Nepal Airlines launched its Japan service in 1994, flying to Osaka via Shanghai in China. In 2007, it was forced to suspend the route as it did not have enough planes. The NAC used to fly Boeing 757 aircraft to Osaka.
The resumption of direct flights is expected to benefit Nepalis residing in Japan and also Japanese tourists visiting Nepal, apart from contribute to the Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign.
The NAC has been operating scheduled flights to New Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Mumbai, and Bangalore with two Airbus A320-200 and two Airbus A330-200 airplanes. But Kharel, on the occasion, also informed that Nepal Airlines will operate flights to Narita International Airport in Tokyo from January 1. But the corporation has scheduled to fly to Narita on September 26 and October 2, as it has applied for chartered flights to Narita. The NAC will use wide body aircraft – Airbus A330-200 – for the chartered flights, he informed.
Kharel also informed that the China flight will take some time as the Chinese government wants to first conduct a safety audit before allowing the flight. Though half dozen Chinese airlines fly to Kathmandu, not a single airlines has been permitted to fly to China.
The state-owned airlines – organising a press meet in Kathmandu today – confirmed that the corporation is all set to fly to Osaka from August 29. “The national flag carrier will use Airbus A330-200 aircraft with the capacity of 274 passengers for Osaka flights,” the executive chairman of the NAC Madan Kharel informed, adding that the first flight to Osaka has received a positive response from the public. “Bookings will pick up pace from the last week of September.”
Kharel, however, said that the seat occupancy is likely to improve from October. “Within one year of the flight operation, I assure you that the flight occupancy will be more than 80 per cent per flight,” he added. “With the current booking trend, we are expecting at least 100 passengers.”
At least 30 officials, including tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai, are also flying on the median flight to Osaka on August 29.
The national flag carrier had initially planned to fly to Narita International Airport but as the Japanese authorities refused to give permission to fly to the other two cities, the NAC decided to fly to Osaka for some time.
Likewise, the corporation had planned to fly to Osaka from July 5. But the poor booking forced it to postpone the flights to August. “The non-stop seven-hour flight on Kathmandu-Osaka route is scheduled to operate three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – and depart Kathmandu at 2:30 am and land Osaka at 11:55 am (local time),” he said, adding that the NAC has introduced promotional fare for the flights at Rs 36,999 for one way and Rs 72,814 for round trip, reducing the earlier fixed rates of Rs 45,000 and Rs 75,000- Rs 90,000, respectively. “The promotional fare will be valid till September,” Kharel added.
NAC is resuming direct flights to Osaka after a hiatus of 12 years. Nepal Airlines launched its Japan service in 1994, flying to Osaka via Shanghai in China. In 2007, it was forced to suspend the route as it did not have enough planes. The NAC used to fly Boeing 757 aircraft to Osaka.
The resumption of direct flights is expected to benefit Nepalis residing in Japan and also Japanese tourists visiting Nepal, apart from contribute to the Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign.
The NAC has been operating scheduled flights to New Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Mumbai, and Bangalore with two Airbus A320-200 and two Airbus A330-200 airplanes. But Kharel, on the occasion, also informed that Nepal Airlines will operate flights to Narita International Airport in Tokyo from January 1. But the corporation has scheduled to fly to Narita on September 26 and October 2, as it has applied for chartered flights to Narita. The NAC will use wide body aircraft – Airbus A330-200 – for the chartered flights, he informed.
Kharel also informed that the China flight will take some time as the Chinese government wants to first conduct a safety audit before allowing the flight. Though half dozen Chinese airlines fly to Kathmandu, not a single airlines has been permitted to fly to China.
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