NAC's aircraft to under go maintenance, suspends Dubai flights

KATHMANDU, Aug 23: Cash-strapped Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is cutting back its international flights by almost 50 percent for about two months starting next week when it will sending one of its two aircraft for C-check, an extensive periodic maintenance.



The cuts, along with the $ 2.18 million price tag for the C-check, is certain to hit the worsening financial situation of the ailing national flag carrier. Although the date for the maintenance has been fixed, it is yet to arrange the money. According to officials they were planning to take a loan for the purpose. [break]



The corporation has decided to send its Boeing 757, 9N-ACA to Iberia in Spain for the 33-day C-check maintenance on Aug 30, an official at NAC said. “Since the aircraft is getting older we estimate it might take around two months for the aircraft to come into operation,” the official said.



The C-check is carried out on every aircrafts after completion of specific amount of flight hours as defined by the manufacturer.



Currently NAC is operating 15 flights a week to five international destinations including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Doha with its two ageing aircrafts. The airlines has also decided to suspend its flights to Dubai from next month.



NAC, last month announced direct flights to Doha of Qatar and Dammam of Saudi Arabia from October 29. “In such a situation it is definitely going to be hard for us to manage aircrafts although the management has decided to introduced new sector,” added the official. At present NAC operates flights to Doha via Dubai and there was no flight to Saudi Arabia. It is planning to fly three times a week to both the Gulf cities.



Similarly, the other Boeing 757 of the airlines is scheduled to have its C-check in April, 2013 and the cost is estimated to be $2.5 million.



The official said,"We requesting management and the government to create an environment to purchase the new aircraft at earliest instead of bearing high cost of maintenance of ageing aircrafts."



Of the total annual volume of around Rs 90 billion in international flight service, NAC only grabbed Rs 4 billion from the business.



Although the cabinet decided to procure two narrow body aircrafts for the airlines last month, the process is yet to begin.

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