KATHMANDU, Aug 19: Shree Airlines has added Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft in its fleet. The aircraft landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport at 6:15 pm on Sunday.
The 80-seater carrier from the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier, is a new type in the company's fleet. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has given a call sign of 9N-ANF to the aircraft.
“The two-engine regional turboprop aircraft has good performance,” said Anil Manandhar, the corporate manager of Shree Airlines. “Though its speed is comparatively less than Jet aircraft, its speed is better than ATR aircraft.”
Shree Airlines adds 80-seater to its fleet
According to the airlines, the aircraft will be airborne within a few days. It will be used for flights to Pokhara, Janakpur and Simara. “We will schedule the flights for the aircraft where we have not been able to provide full-fledged services through Jet aircraft,” Manandhar told Republica, adding: “With the new aircraft, we will extend better services to our customers.”
The private carrier is expecting the arrival of the remaining two Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 series airplanes within 15 days. It had received permission from the CAAN to purchase the aircraft in 2018.
Shree Airlines recently received permission from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) to operate flights to five destinations of India and Bangladesh -- New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Banglore of India, and Dhaka of Bangladesh. The airline plans to use 50-seater CRJ 200 and 70-seater CRJ 700 for the flights.
The CAAN had permitted Shree Airlines to operate chartered flights to international destinations six months ago. The airlines recently conducted a successful test flight to Varanasi, India.
The company currently operates scheduled flights to domestic destinations Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, Bhadrapur, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi and Rajbiraj. It also operates a fleet of six MI 17 and two AS 350 B3e helicopters.
