In the mid-90s, then Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) was in its heyday. The state flag-carrier was flying to 21 destinations across the world, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Vienna, Shanghai, Osaka, and Singapore. Then, its fleet consisted of two state-of-the-art Boeing 757s, an Airbus A310, and a number of short-haul turboprops. Twenty years on, Nepal Airlines is almost grounded. It only flies to four international destinations—Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and New Delhi. Its long-haul fleet has dwindled to the two ageing 757s. For comparison, Thai Airways, which started operations at the same time as RNAC, has a fleet of 108 aircraft.
This is why the arrival of a new Airbus A320 aircraft was met with such fanfare on Sunday. The new jet was welcomed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) by Hindu priests performing pujas and a water cannon salute. This is the first aircraft capable of long-haul international flights that NAC has acquired in 27 years, the disastrous leasing of a Boeing 767 from the Austrian Lauda Air in 2000 notwithstanding. This new jet will supplement NAC’s ailing fleet, which recently also acquired a 56-seater MA60s for trunk routes and four 18-seater Y12-e planes for short-takeoff-and-landing routes. Another Airbus A320 will be arriving later this year. With these new jets, NAC hopes to restart its international coverage, flying to New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Dubai and Guangzhou, among others.
While NAC’s recent acquisitions and ambitions are welcome news, there are more than a few obstacles the flag carrier will have to overcome; most formidable of which is the European Union (EU)’s blanket ban on all Nepal-based airlines flying to Europe. In December 2013, the EU banned all Nepali carriers from EU airspace, citing their poor safety record. It also discourages European citizens from flying on Nepali carriers. European tourists comprise a significant chunk of visitors to Nepal and European destinations were among the first that Nepal connected to. The overturning of this ban alone will require a major undertaking at NAC. While there has been some speculation that perhaps the EU ban is in response to Nepal’s purchase of Chinese-made aircraft, implying a geopolitical motive, NAC could only benefit from sprucing up its safety record.
Safety, therefore, will need to be a prime concern for NAC. Prioritising maintenance and technical expertise requires able managers, not to say that current Managing Director Madan Kharel is less than competent. But the criticism aimed most frequently at NAC has been how political leaders have used the institution as parking for those near and dear. Corruption has been a hallmark of the airline, even dragging in Girija Prasad Koirala during the Lauda Air scandal. This needs to end. Political appointees must be replaced with competent managers with the technical know-how to run a massive airline and the zeal and ambition to take the carrier forward. NAC was once a matter of pride for the country. It still has the potential to reclaim that space.
23.12°C Kathmandu
