NRNs plan five-star hotel, start BB Airways

A Non-resident Nepali (NRN) Shesh Ghale announced that MIT Holdings will start a five-star hotel in Nepal, whereas another NRN Bhawan Bhatta — chairman of BB Airways and treasurer of NRN Association — announced the inaugural flight of BB Airways from today to Kuala Lumpur, during the NRN Day celebration here today.

"We are negotiating with an international hotel chain that will be finalised in a week," said chairman of MIT Holdings Ghale, adding that the company will invest around Aus$75-Aus$80 million as foreign direct investment from Australia for the project that will start within a year.

The holding company has already bought land near the earlier royal palace and will start construction within a year, he informed. "It will take another three years to complete the construction and the five-star hotel will come into operation by 2017."

Similarly, Bhatta announced the start of scheduled flights of BB Airways to Kuala Lumpur. "Soon, the airlines will fly to Hong Kong and in a month, it will start scheduled flights to Japan," he said.

BB Airways, with an initial capital of Rs 500 million, is a Rs 4 billion company promoted by NRNs.

NRNs want to see a peaceful and prosperous Nepal, said founding president of NRNA Dr Upendra Mahato, addressing the NRN Day. "It is a pride to be a poor citizen of a rich country than to be a rich citizen of a poor country," he said, adding that the government has failed to utilise the remittance and skills of migrant Nepalis.

Migration is a short-term phenomenon and remittance can be a cushion for the time being only, but in the long term there is no alternative to creating employment in the country, said president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Suraj Vaidya, on the occasion.

Nepal is not a poor country, it's only our mentality that is poor as the country offers huge potential that needs to be exploited, he said, asking NRNs to invest and help generate employment in the country.

He was of the opinion that political instability and labour problems could create some problems, but Nepal still is a fertile ground for investment as compared to other countries.

Nepalis have been able to achieve a lot abroad, said care taker prime minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, asking them to replicate the success story in the country.

Realising the weakness in governance and bureaucracy, he said that the government has failed to create conducive business environment, investment-friendly environment and investor-friendly bureaucracy. "Otherwise how can Nepalis, who have been contributing to foreign economies fail in their own country," he asked, adding that the country cannot achieve double-digit growth without foreign investment and technology.

BB Airways aircraft lands at TIA

A chartered flight of BB Airways BO 428 – the first flight of the private airliners – with 201 tourists from Siem Reap, Cambodia landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) today at 12:50 afternoon.

BB Airways chairman and International Coordination Council of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) treasurer Bhaban Bhatta welcomed the Boeing 757-200 at the international airport. “The flight has added a new chapter to the economic progress of the country,” he said, adding that they have been encouraged to move ahead.

The chartered flight was operated in co-ordination with TonleSap Airlines of Cambodia. "The flight to Nepal was very easy and comfortable and I would be very happy to get opportunity to come to Nepal regularly," Captain of the BO 428 flight Vadim Prudnikoves said.

BB Airways will commence regular scheduled flights from October 11, the NRN Day. The scheduled flights would link Kathmandu with Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong while the airline will also operate two chartered flights to Narita, Japan from Kathmandu every week.

BB Airways will operate four scheduled flights to Kuala Lumpur and three to Hong Kong every week. The flights to Kuala Lumpur will be on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while the flights to to Hong Kong will be on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. The round trip to Kula Lumpur will cost Rs 36,000 and Hong Kong Rs 48,000.

"The landing of BB Airways aircraft will be a giant leap in the history of international aviation by a private Nepali airliner," managing director of BB Airways Shishir Bhatta said.

BB Airways is promoted by Non-resident Nepali entrepreneur Bhaban Bhatta who owns numerous businesses in Japan and Nepal.

Bhagwan Buddha Airways – popularly known as BB Airways – will start the scheduled flights with a Boeing 757-200 and soon add another Boeing 757-200 to its fleet. It will expand its services to Bangkok, Singapore, New Delhi and Doha immediately after adding another aircraft. It plans to start flights to Europe and Australia further adding two Boeing 767 airplanes in near future.

BB Airways to start flights

BB Airways – a new Nepali private international carrier promoted by a NRN – will be starting its chartered flights from September 13 – a month prior to the launch of its scheduled flights.

The airline will commence its chartered flights to Seam Reap, Cambodia from September 13 and to Tokyo from October, informed BB Airways’ chief operating officer Hari Bhakta Shrestha during a press conference held by the airline today.

The company will start its scheduled flights to Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong from October 11, with four flights a week to Kuala Lumpur and three to Hong Kong, he added.

The fares start from Rs 36,000 for a trip from Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur and return, and the fare from Kathmandu to Hong Kong and return starts from Rs 48,000.

“We are a full-fledged carrier and have to compete with budget airlines in providing the most competitive air fares to our valued passengers,” said chairman of BB Airways Bhaban Bhatta, who is also treasurer of Non Residnet Nepalis Association (NRNA).

BB Airways will commence its flights with one Boeing 757-200, followed soon by another B757. With the arrival of our second aircraft, it will be expanding its services to Bangkok, Singapore, New Delhi and Doha.

At present, it has permission to operate flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hong Kong, China; New Delhi, India; Tokyo, Japan; Doha, Qatar; Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore.

Nepal, Malaysia to jointly promote tourism

Malaysia has invited Nepal to cooperate in promoting tourism in both the countries. Both the countries must seek a collaborative tourism development programme to develop the sector and generate mass employment, said director general of Tourism Malaysia Dato’ Mirza Mohamud Taiyab during a Malaysia food and cultural programme and mini travel mart here today.

“Malaysia and Nepal both share vast potential in tourism and we have to explore it,” he said, addressing the programme here today
Malaysia Airlines' flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu will boost tourism in both countries, opined the director general, who has been leading a group of travel agents, hotels and other tourism officials from Malaysia to Nepal.

Malaysia is the ninth most-visited country in the world, with 24.7 million tourists visiting the country in 2011, and it earned $19 billion from the industry. However, the Nepali tourism industry is expecting only one million tourists a year.

Nepal is an emerging market for Malaysia, with a total of 81,800 tourist arrivals recorded from January to October 2011. This year, from January to June, a total of 51,400 tourists from Nepal visited Malaysia. It is about a 43.9 per cent growth as compared to the same period last year.

Similarly, about 20,000 Malaysians have been visiting Nepal annually since the last couple of years. Direct flights of Malaysia Airlines are expected to boost the flow of Malaysian tourists to Nepal in the coming days. The airlines started direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu from today.
The Malaysia Airlines has begun direct flight between Kathmandu and Kuala Lumpur thrice a week from today.
Issuing a press release today, the Airlines informed that a two-class configured Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 144 economy class seats and 16 business class seats would be used for Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur return service.
The Malaysia Airlines flight MH171 departs Kathmandu on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 12:20pm to arrive at Kuala Lumpur at 7:14pm. On the same days, the inbound flight MH170 departs Kuala Lumpur at 8:55am and arrives at Kathmandu at 11:30am, according to the airlines.
Currently, the Airlines is offering all-in return economy class promotional fares starting from Rs 45,619 to travel Malaysia from Kathmandu.
Regional Senior Vice-President of the Airlines for Middles East and South Asia, Azahar Hamid said the direct connection between Nepal and Malaysia could mutually benefit from various commercial relations, including trade, investment and tourism.

But the airlines is already planning to increase its flight frequency to five from the current three flights week. "The airlines is planning to increase the flights to five times a week depending on the air traffic,” according to the Malaysia Airlines.
"We annually receive 24.7 billion tourist and Malaysian tourism industry as a whole received a total income of $19 billion last year,” said Taiyab.
The tourism sector of Malaysia is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country. It targets $52.8 billion tourism receipt and 36 million tourist arrivals by the year 2020. Malaysia is the ninth most-visited country in the world with 24.7 million tourists visiting the country in 2011.
In 2011, around 82,000 Nepalis went to Malaysia on holidays, whereas Nepal received 8,286 visitors from Malaysia. Nepal is an emerging market for Malaysia.
Similarly, with more direct flights between Malaysia and Nepal, Nepal can also become a tourism hub for South East Asian tourists.
Malaysian budget carrier Air Asia and Malaysian flag-carrier Malaysia Airlines, apart from Nepal's flag-carrier Nepal Airlines are already flying on the route currently, whereas domestic international airlines BB Airways is planning to start its flight on Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur route from September 13.
The Air Service Agreement between Nepal and Malaysia allows Malaysian airlines to operate up to 21 flights a week.

Nepal and Malaysia's bilateral relationship dates back to the 19th century. Nepalis used to go Malay (Malaysia) for jobs and the trend still continues. About 500,000 Nepalis are believed to be presently working in Malaysia and the outflow is around 100,000 per year.

Likewise, Malaysian and Nepali travel and tour agents and officials will discuss on potential opportunities of cooperation between the two countries on Sunday.