Parliamentary committee directive for controlling irregularities in NAC

Kathmandu, Nov 12: The International Relations and Labour Committee of the Legislature-Parliament have directed the government and the national flag-carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to increase air flights to the remote areas and control irregularities in ticket sale.

A meeting of the Committee held at Singha Durbar today also instructed the government to maintain uniformity in the air fare of government and private airlines corporations.

The NAC carrying a history of 56 years has presently six aircraft in operation. Besides, it has one more aircraft which is in the condition of an operation after some maintenance.

The state-owned airlines corporation, which at one time had a fleet of 40 aircraft in good condition to operate domestic and international flights, has currently limited its flights in only 25 places including major cities Biratngar,

Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Bhadrapur and Dhangadhi.  It provides service to the people at fifty per cent less rates than the private companies.  Besides, its annual profit has been limited to four million rupees from past 600 million.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Deepak Chandra Amatya, informed the meeting that preparations were on to operate more flights to Tumlingtar, Janakpur, Simra, Bharatpur and Pokhara in the near future.

            Likewise, it was informed in the meeting that flights would be operated to Talcha, Simikot, Dolpa, Jumla, Bajura, Bajhnag, Chaurjahari, Lukla, Faplu, Sanfebagar, Taplejung, Lamidanda, Khanidanda, Kangel and Faplu airports after the arrival of additional aircrafts from China. One wide-bodied aircraft and three 17-seat aircraft are expected from China within the next four months.

On the occasion, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sadhuram Sapkota pledged to give high respect to lawmakers' suggestions for systematizing the NAC.

With the process of bringing more aircrafts from China, the NAC has already recruited necessary technical human resources (20 pilots, 25 co-pilots and 23 air hostess) to operate commercial flights, according to NAC Director General Madan Kharel. We have the plan of operating 13 airbuses till coming mid July, he said. 

In the meeting, lawmakers suggested the government and NAC to improve its (Corporation's) administrative and marketing aspects, focusing on the operation of regular flights on schedule and make its service prompt and more effective.  RSS