Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has been conducting a technical assessment of the tender submitted by Bhutan Airlines for the wet lease of its Airbus aircraft, NAC sources said.
Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has been conducting a technical assessment of the tender submitted by Bhutan Airlines for the wet lease of its Airbus aircraft, NAC sources said.
Two companies have responded to the tender notice issued by NAC to lease an Airbus aircraft with flight crew to substitute for its Boeing 757 which will be sent away for a 45-day maintenance check in mid-July.
The corporation has shortlisted a Bhutanese private carrier’s Airbus A319 aircraft among the two offers received.
An NAC official said that they were conducting a technical evaluation. After the technical evaluation, a financial evaluation of the bid will be done. “The two companies will then hold final negotiations. If they agree on the price, an agreement will be signed,” he said. “Otherwise, another tender notice should be issued.”
Rabindra Shrestha, spokesperson for NAC, said that it would take at least a week to complete the whole process.
The corporation had invited bids for the wet lease an Airbus A319, A320 or A321. NAC said that a temporary replacement was needed so that its flights would not be affected when the Boeing is sent away for a long maintenance.
The lease contract will begin on July 16 and last for 45 days, and it can be extended to 60 days, said Shrestha.
The corporation plans to operate scheduled flights with the aircraft on the Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Delhi and Bangalore or other sectors.
On April 10, the corporation put one of its two ageing Boeing 757s up for auction.
However, it did not receive a single bid for the 30-year-old jet. The deadline for bids has been extended till June 12. Meanwhile, the second Boeing 757 has also been grounded from last week.
“We have been repairing the jet. We are not sure how long it will be before the aircraft returns to service,” said Shrestha.
He added that the jet would have to leave for its 45-day maintenance check in two weeks. “We expect to lease a replacement aircraft a week before the Boeing is sent away.” NAC currently has two Airbus A320 aircraft in service.
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