NAC flies to Narita despite apex court order

 The national flag carrier today started its commercial flight to Narita in Japan today ignoring the Supreme Court’s order. The apex court has directed the government to halt air service to and from coronavirus infected countries in the wake of global pandemic.

The NAC flight to Narita – carrying some 234 passengers from Nepal – flew to Narita today and returned with 265 passengers. A jumbo team of government officials travelled to Narita on its inaugural flight. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had announced yesterday that no formal programme would be conducted during the inaugural flight on the Kathmandu-Narita route.

Nepal Airlines Corporation spokesperson Archana Khadka defended the decision to go ahead with the Narita flight. “The corporation had been working to launch commercial flight on this route for a very long time and tickets were already booked for the inaugural flight,” she said, adding that the corporation had not received any objection letter or notice regarding flight operations to Japan. “However, the NAC will halt flights after receiving formal order from the apex court.”

NAC has started its commercial flights to Narita, shifting its service from Osaka as Narita is economically more viable than Osaka. NAC had halted flights to Osaka on February 27.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has directed all the concerned authorities to suspend the on-arrival visa issuance to passengers travelling from five countries including China, South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy from March 10.

NAC to launch Narita flights on March 2

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is starting commercial flights to Narita in Japan from March 2.
The introductory airfare of Kathmandu-Narita flight has been set at Rs 73,000 per person for a round-trip and Rs 37,000 per person for one-way, according to the national flag carrier. “The introductory fare will be in place for a limited time and is subject to change in the future.”
In the initial phase, NAC will operate three flights per week in the sector; on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flights are scheduled to depart from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at 1:25am and return at 6:25pm on the same day, the NAC informed.
Each business class traveller will be allowed to carry up to 50 kg luggage, while the baggage limit for the economy class travellers has been set at 46 kg, it informed, expecting the direct Narita flight to add to the convenience of travellers to and from Japan and especially benefit air travellers in Tokyo and surrounding areas. “As Narita is comparatively closer to Tokyo, NAC expects the new service to ease Nepalis working and studying in the capital city of Japan.”
It will help to bring in more Japanese tourists to Nepal at comparatively less price,” the NAC added.

Nepal Airlines to switch to Tokyo from Osaka

Nepal Airlines is switching to Narita International Airport in Tokyo from current Osaka's Kansai International Airport to continue its Japan flight.
The national flag carrier is planning to start flying to Tokyo from the beginning of next year.
Nepal Airlines began its Kathmandu-Osaka direct flight from August 29 but the flight could not be continued due to lack of passenger. “The NAC has signed a ground handling agreement for Narita, allowing it to launch flights to Tokyo,” confirmed deputy spokesperson for the NAC Sulekh Mishra.
“The NAC is planning to fly to Narita by mid-January,” he said, adding that the Osaka flight could be discontinued from February.
Currently, Nepal Airlines has offered one-way flights to Osaka at a promotional fare of Rs 36,000, which is 25 per cent to 30 per cent cheaper than the market rate. Despite the cheaper fare, the Osaka flights are half filled. “The 2020 Summer Olympics are being held in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9, and the games could create travel demand from Nepal too,” Mishra added.
Nepal Airlines used to fly to Japan since 1994 – flying to Osaka via Shanghai in China – but in 2007, the flights were suspended as the national flag carrier did not have enough planes. The carrier expects the resumption of its Japan service will help improve its financial health.
Likewise, the national flag carrier is also preparing to start flights to Guangzhou's Baiyun International Airport in China from January.
Meanwhile, the airlines has also formed a committee to study the possibility to start Nepal-Australia flight. On September 30, Nepal and Australia signed an air service agreement (ASA) in Montreal of Canada paving the way for the operation of commercial air services between the two countries.
Australia has permitted seven weekly flights from Nepal to key cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth, and unlimited flights to other destinations in Australia, whereas the agreement allows Australian carriers to operate seven flights weekly to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), and another 28 weekly services to Bhairahawa and Pokhara.

NAC operates chartered flight to Tokyo

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is operating first of its two chartered flights to Narita International Airport of Tokyo in Japan today evening.
According to the national flag carrier, NAC’s Airbus A330-200 aircraft will leave Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu for Tokyo at 9:30 pm and return to Kathmandu at 9:30 am tomorrow.
The second chartered flight has been scheduled for October 2, the NAC informed, adding that the two chartered flights have been taken as the national flag carrier’s preparation to fly to Narita International Airport in Tokyo. “NAC has initially showed interest to operate scheduled flights to Tokyo Narita but it launched flights to Osaka after it couldn’t get approval for Tokyo flights.”
The NAC has got at least 100 tickets booking for Narita flights as of today evening.
The national flag carrier currently is operating two flights a week to Osaka due to low passenger turnout. The NAC has launched its first direct flight to Osaka on August 29 with a fixed airfare at Rs 36,900 for one way and Rs 72,814 for a round trip. The national flag carrier had initially launched three flights a week on the sector but it is operating only two flights a week – on Tuesday and Saturdays – currently due to low passenger turnout.
The national flag carrier operates Airbus A330-200 aircraft that can carry 274 passengers per flight but it has around 100 passengers on Kathmandu-Osaka flight.

Nepal Airlines to fly to Osaka from August 29

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.

NAC plans Kathmandu-Narita flights

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is planning non-stop flights between Kathmandu and Narita, a city on the eastern outskirts of Tokyo in Japan.
The national flag carrier is holding talks with the visiting delegation of Narita International Airport Corporation (NIAC) of Japan today on operation of the flights between Kathmandu and Narita. Though, NAC wanted to fly to Tokyo after a decade, it could not get any slot at the Tokyo Airport and plans to fly to Narita.
A three-member team – of NIAC that manages the Narita airport facilities – led by vice president of aviation sales and marketing department of the airport Koji Takahashi arrived in Kathmandu today.
“As NAC has applied for a slot at Narita International Airport, the national flag carrier will hold discussions on the facilities and other areas of commercial operation," according to senior official at the Nepal Airlines Corporation that has last week applied for the slot and has been approved by the airport. "However, the NAC is still waiting to receive landing permission from the aviation regulator of Japan, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB)."
The national flag carrier is planning to fly its two long-range Airbus A330 jets to Narita after it has revised air service agreement (ASA) on June 18. The revised ASA has increased the number of flights to seven-fold from twice weekly to 14 weekly flights with any type of aircraft on a reciprocal basis. The revised agreement has allowed NAC to fly to Narita International Airport, and also to Kansai International Airport, Osaka.
Though, NAC has been planning to restart flights to Japan, the process including safety checks, has been delaying the Kathmandu-Narita flight. "In the first phase, Kathmandu-Narita flight will be once a week," according to the NAC.
Earlier, Nepal Airlines had launched its services to Japan in 1994, flying to Osaka via Shanghai in China. But it was forced to suspend the flight in 2007 due to lack of aircraft.