NAC aircraft back from C-Check, adds flights for peak season

After the Nepal Airlines Corporation’s (NAC) one of the aircraft landed back at the TIA today morning after C-Check, it is operating four flights to Doha and Hong Kong from today due to the peak season.
"Immediately after the arrival of its Boeing 9N ACB aircraft from Israel today morning, NAC has added one flight each to Doha and Hong Kong," according to the ailing national flag carrier that is increasing flights to Doha and Hong Kong from tomorrow as its 9N ACB aircraft will return after a complete Comprehensive Check (C-Check).

Earlier this month, NAC had increased the utility hour of its 9N ACA aircraft to 12.5 hours a day as the other Boeing aircraft was sent for a C-Check to Israel on August 28.

Normally, one aircraft is operated for 10.5 utility hours a day. Along with the extended utility hour of its only aircraft, the ailing national flag carrier had reduced its international flights since August 29. Since August 29, NAC had been operating 9N ACA to all its destinations.

However, NAC currently does not have any plans to resume flights to Dubai and Delhi. 

NAC had suspended its flights to Dubai and Delhi and had also reduced its flights to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Doha and Hong Kong. NAC usually operates three flights each to Bangkok and Hong Kong, three flights to Doha and Dubai, and six flights to Kuala Lumpur in a week making it 15 flights a week, besides seven weekly flights to New Delhi.

NAC has a capacity of two flights a day on average. During emergencies, it operates only one aircraft to five different destinations.

Along with NAC, there are a number of international airlines that will also increase their flight frequency to manage passenger flow during the peak season.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Air Asia X, Gulf Air, and China Eastern are some airlines which have applied to increase their flight frequency for the peak season, and some of them have received permission.

China Eastern to resume its flight from January 11

China Eastern Airlines is resuming its flight on Kumming-Kathmandu-Kumming route from January 11.
According to Zhao De Jiang (Ansen), station manager of the China Eastern, the airlines will fly thrice a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. "China Eastern Airlines is one of the biggest airlines of China," he said, adding that it also is a controlling shareholder of China Cargo Airlines, China Eastern Jiangsu Airlines Co and China Eastern Wuhan Airlines Co.
Based in Shanghai the airlines got the approval to fly on Kathmandu-Kunming -- capital of Yunnan province route last August.
"It will have direct flights from Kunming to Kathmandu and connecting flights to Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai in China and other destinations in South East Asia, South Asia and Europe," he added.
China Eastern Airlines is the third Chinese airline allowed by the Chinese government to operate in Nepal that is expected to bring in more Chinese tourists.
Recently, the number of Chinese tourists has also seen steady growth as in December it posted a robust growth of 24.4 per cent arrivals from China. "The airlines will help bring more tourists in Nepal Tourism Year 2011," Jiang added.