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NAC to lease aircraft from Turkuaz airline for six weeks |
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The Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is mulling to lease an aircraft from Turkuaz Airline, Turkey-based Airlines, for six weeks.
The national flag carrier that has drawn flak for its controversial Airbus aircraft deal is planning to acquire a 180-seater Airbus A 320-200 from the Turkey-based airline company to tide over the flight crisis as it is sending its own Boeing 757 ACA for a regular C Check.
NAC has been trying to lease an aircraft to regulate its flight schedules for it was sending its Boeing for regular maintenance.
Deputy General Manager at NAC, Raju K.C., said that they had signed a deal with Turkuaz Airline. NAC will be paying Rs. 195,000 (US$ 2,600) to Turkuaz per flight including the expenses of the flight crew. "The proposed aircraft will arrive on Jan. 4 carrying passengers from Doha," said K.C. As per the contract, NAC will be paying for the accommodation and the daily allowances of the aircraft crew. With this, total expenditure is expected to touch US$ 2,760 per day, KC said.
For the maintenance of Boeing 757 ACA, NAC has contracted Alal Company of Israel. The aircraft will head straight to Israeli capital Tel Aviv after it carries passengers of Dubai-Doha sector on Jan. 4. The Turkuaz Airline aircraft will carry passengers from the same sector on its arrival to Nepal on the same day.
As per the agreement, the Turkuaz Airline will be operating its flights for a minimum of 375 hours in six weeks that is nine hours a days.
Even if NAC fails to capitalise the agreed hours, NAC will have to make the payment.
"We will utilize the paid hours in a full-fledged manner," added K.C. According to him, NAC is planning to operate the airline for 250 hours a month. During the lease period, the airline will not entertain the business class passengers.
The NAC officials said that they were planning to operate the aircraft in the Middle East and Malaysia. But in Bangkok, Singapore and Indian sector, another NAC Boeing will be operated, which will entertain the business class passengers, another official at the NAC informed.
NAC has two Boeing aircraft in operation. The lat time NAC bought the Boeing 757 was in 1988.
NAC decision to purchase two aircraft from Airbus SAS by the first half of 2011 has plunged into controversy with four government bodies probing the purchase deal.
NAC was born on July 1, 1958 and currently flies to 10 international destinations and 30 different domestic sectors.
Source: Kantipur |
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