KATHMANDU, Oct 6: Tara Air has added a Dornier Do228 aircraft to its fleet. The aircraft landed at the Tribhuwan International Airport on Saturday.
Issuing a press statement, Tara Air said it plans to press the new aircraft into service from Monday. [break]
With the new addition, Tara Air now has a fleet of four Twin Otters and four Dornier Do228-212 aircraft.
"The 18-seater Dornier Do228-212 is a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, suitable for operating in short, high altitude runways such as Lukla and Jomsom," the statement said.
The airline procured the aircraft from the Philippines.
"The aircraft powered by Honeywell TPE 331-10 twin engine is equipped with the latest Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and the advanced Traffic Collision Awareness System II (TCAS II)," the statement said, adding that the aircraft meets all the airworthiness standards of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) -- the aviation sector regulator.
We acquired the aircraft to support the country´s trekking industry and to provide transportation and food supply to rural areas where we have been the only airline flying on regular basis, Roshan Regmi, marketing manager of Tarai Air, said in the statement.
Tara Air, a subsidiary of Yeti Airlines, operates on short haul sectors like Lukla, Phaplu, Lamidanda, Rumjatar, Ramechhap and Bhojpur from Kathmandu.
It also flies to Jomsom from Pokhara and to Dolpa, Jumla, Bajura, Simikot, Rara, Rukum and Bajhang from Nepalgunj and Surkhet.