Nepal's flag carrier to take delivery of Chinese-made planes

The Nepal Airline Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier of Nepal, said on Sunday that a four-member team departed for China to bring two of the four Chinese-made aircraft on order.

As per an agreement signed between Nepal's flag carrier and Chinese supplier - AVIC International Holding - in December 2012, Nepal would acquire six Chinese aircraft, two in grants and four on loans.

Of them, the NAC has already acquired one 56-seater MA60 and one 17-seater Y12e from the Chinese government, but it is yet to take delivery of three Y12e and one MA60 under the loan agreement.

NAC Managing Director Sugat Ratna Kansakar told Xinhua that the team led by its director Poshak Gnawali departed for China to take delivery of the two planes.

"The planes will arrive soon," he said, adding other two planes on order would also be brought in the next three to four months.

The arrival of the new aircraft from China is expected to boost NAC's presence in domestic aviation market which had shrunk in recent years due to its depleting number of fleet.

Earlier in October, Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry had instructed the NAC to take delivery of remaining planes as early as possible by sorting out any issue with the supplier. Enditem