The type certification from European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) or equivalent agency will pave the way for CAAN to award airworthiness certificate to the Chinese aircraft. [break]
Manandhar will join Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport, Bhesh Raj Subedi of CAAN and Deepak Lama of NAC who are already in China.
The MA-60 aircraft is yet to get type certification from Federation Aviation Administration of US.
About a month ago, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) had signed commercial agreement with Avic International - the maker of MA-60 and Harbin Y-12.
Going by the procurement procedure, signing of financial agreement is a must before signing technical agreement.
“The inspection visit violates the procedure, as the government is yet to sign financial agreement,” a senior official at the Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation told Republica.
However, Min Raj Upadhyay, acting director general of CAAN, said it was necessary to ensure the aircraft is fit for Nepali sky before taking on any other step. “Once the inspection team gives its nod, we will award air worthiness certificate to the aircraft,” he added.
Of the six aircraft being purchased by the government, China has pledged to provide one 58-seater MA-60 and 19-seater Harbin Y-12 under grant. China has promised to arrange soft loan from Exim Bank for the remaining four aircraft.
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