AIRFARE FALLS AFTER NAC GETS AIRBUS

KEDAR DAHAL

KATHMANDU, Feb 18

Nepali passengers are set for a relief in fare with the national flag-carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) preparing to start flight with its new Airbus acquired last week. Fare will be reduced as other international airline companies are also reducing fare with the NAC preparing to start commercial flights from the next week.

The NAC has set a lower fare than other companies for Kathmandu-Delhi and Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur sectors. It has also announced starting flights to Bangkok and Hong Kong with Airbus, and said it will also reduce fare for those sectors immediately after publishing flight schedule for those routes. The NAC has set a one-way fare for Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur at Rs 14,000 excluding taxes. Other companies have been charging up to Rs 35,000. Malindo Air, that started flights to Kathmandu last week, charges Rs 18,000, Malaysian Airlines Rs 35,000, and Air Asia up to Rs 20,000. These companies are under pressure to cut fare after the NAC, that has been operating in the route for a long time, set a fare of Rs 14,000.

Fare will also be reduced in Kathmandu-Delhi sector with the NAC setting a fare of Rs 7,084 including taxes. Two-way fare for the sector had rocketed up to Rs 45,000 in the past. Jet Airways, Air India, Indigo and Spice Jet operating in the route had cut two-way fare to Rs 15,000 some time back. Some of these companies now have cut fare down to Rs 9,000.

Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur sector has been lucrative for airline companies in the past five years with Malaysia attracting a large number of workers, and they had not cut fare even during intense competition. “Other companies will automatically feel pressure after the NAC cut fare. We have set a lower fare than other companies as the national flag-carrier is for the benefit of people. Now, others will also reduce it,” NAC Spokesperson Ramhari Sharma says.

Over 80 percent of passengers in the sector are workers. A large number of Nepalis are also visiting Malaysia on holiday package and commercial purpose in recent times. A total of 117,686 youths have already gone to Malaysia, that has over 700,000 Nepali workers, for employment in the current fiscal year. The targeted passengers in the segment are Nepalis, according to promoter of President Travels Bhola Bikram Thapa. “New airline companies are operating flights to Nepal from Malaysia due to the high demand in the sector,” he reasons.

Y12E plane meant for remote flies to urban routes  

The Y12E plane provided by China in grant has been operating flights in urban routes even though it was to operate in remote routes. The NAC states that the plane has been operating flights in urban destinations as the aircraft manufacturer has not sent performance chart. China had provided a Y12E and an MA-60 in grant to operate flights to remote and urban destinations respectively.

The NAC is in process of buying three more Y12E and another MA-60. “We cannot operate flights in the remote sectors until the manufacturer sends performance chart showing how high the plane can fly, how much load it can carry, and in which Nepali airports it can land,” NAC Spokesperson Sharma states. There are very few planes operating flights in the remote areas even though there are adequate private sector planes to operate in the urban routes.