Kathmandu [Nepal], : After facing heavy losses, Nepal Airlines has decided to sell five of its Chinese-made aircraft as nobody wants to lease them.
The aircraft spent more time on the ground than in the air, and they were becoming a financial burden on the debt-ridden national flag carrier, reported Nepali publication hamrakura.com.
Eight years after acquiring a batch of Chinese planes it had hoped to fly on underserved mountain routes, Nepal Airlines finally decided that it didn’t want the albatross around its neck anymore after the direction of the Ministry of Finance.
In 2012, the corporation advanced the purchase agreement of four Y12E (Y12E) and two MA60 (MA60) aircraft from China. One of these planes is now in a state of non-operation after the accident, while the remaining five are sitting idle in the parking lot of Tribhuvan International Airport.
Besides maintenance issues and lack of spare parts, Nepal Airlines couldn’t find pilots to fly the aircraft, and there was no sense in keeping them anymore, reported hamrakura.com.
The deadline for the bids set by Nepal Airlines is October 31. Some top Nepal Airlines officials say they do not expect to see potential lessees.