Nepal Airlines

Nepal Airlines
IATA RA	ICAO RNA	Callsign NEPAL
Founded		1958
Hubs		Tribhuvan International Airport
Secondary hubs		Pokhara Airport
Fleet size		10
Destinations		38 (8 international)
Parent company		Government Of Nepal
Headquarters		Kathmandu
Key people
Website: http://www.royalnepal-airlines.com/

Nepal Airlines formerly known as "Royal Nepal Airlines" is an airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is the government owned national flag-carrier airline and operates more than 30 domestic and 7 international routes. Its main base is Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu.

Contents 1 History 2 Destinations 2.1 Domestic 2.2 International 3 Incidents and accidents 3.1 2007 Goat Sacrifice 4 Fleet 4.1 Previously operated 5 External links 6 References

History

The airline was established in July 1958 as Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) with one Douglas DC-3. At the beginning its services was limited to Simara, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Indian cities like Patna, Calcutta and Delhi. Soon after, a turboprop Fokker F27 was added to the airline's fleet. ^[1] Twin Otter and Pilatus Porter aircraft joined the airline's fleet in 1970, allowing access to the more remote and mountainous regions of the Kingdom. After extension of the runway of Kathmandu in 1972, RNA acquired Hawker Siddeley HS-748 and Boeing 727. Two Boeing 757s gradually replaced the airline's Boeing 727s. In 2003 and 2004 it was reported that the Nepal Government had decided to sell off 49% of its stake in Nepal Airlines to the private sector and hand over management control, while retaining a 51% share. This would provide the investment to get the airline out of the red. Operations have been discontinued to Bangalore, Bombay/Mumbai, Calcutta/Kolkata,Dhaka, Frankfurt, Karachi and London Gatwick. ^{[2] [3]} The former chairman of the virtually bankrupt Nepal Airlines was jailed for massive corruption in February 2005. ^[4] The word "Royal" was dropped from the airline's name as a result of the political upheavals of 2006.

Destinations

As of July 2007, Nepal Airlines operates scheduled passenger flights to the following destinations:

Domestic

International

East Asia

• Hong Kong (Hong Kong International Airport)
• Osaka (Kansai International Airport)
• Shanghai (Shanghai Pudong International Airport)

Southeast Asia

• Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport)
• Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur International Airport)

South Asia

• Delhi (Indira Gandhi International Airport)

Middle East

• Dubai (Dubai International Airport)

Incidents and accidents

• 5 November 1960 - RNA Douglas C-47A-80-DL (9N-AAD) crashed on take-off at Bhairawa Airport and caught fire. All four crew members were killed. There were no passengers on board. ^[5]
• 1 August 1962 - RNA Douglas C-47A-DL (9N-AAH) on route from Kathmandu-Gaucher Airport to New Delhi, radio contact was lost and the aircraft crashed near Tulachan Dhuri. The wreckage was found on 9 August 1962 on a mountain top at 11,200 feet. All four crew and six passengers were killed. ^[5]
• 12 July 1969 - RNA Douglas DC-3D (9N-AAP) collided with a tree while flying over a cloud covered ridge at 7,300 feet at Hitauda, Nepal. All four crew and 31 passengers were killed. ^[5]
• 25 January 1970 - RNA Fokker F27-200 (9N-AAR) after a flight from Kathmandu, was caught in severe thunderstorms with turbulence and down draughts on final approach to Delhi (Palam Airport). The pilot couldn't control the aircraft and crashed short of the runway. Of the five crew and 18 passengers only one crew member was killed. ^[5]
• 10 June 1973 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter on a flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu, was taken over by three hijackers who demanded money and escaped after landing in Bihar, India. None of the three crew and 18 passengers were injured. ^[5]
• 15 October 1973 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABG) was damaged beyond repair at Lukla Airport. the three crew and three passengers were unhurt. ^[5]
• 22 December 1984 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABH) crashed off course near Bhojpur, Nepal. Bad weather and pilot error could have been the cause. All three crew were killed as well as 12 of the 20 passengers. ^[5]
• 9 June 1991 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABA), after a flight from Kathmandu, crashed on landing at Lukla Airport following an unstabilized approach in bad weather. All three crew and 14 passengers were killed. ^[5]
• 5 July 1992 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABB), lost directional control on takeoff from Jumla Airport on a flight to Surkhet. The aircraft ran off the runway and struck the airport perimeter fence. None of the three crew were injured and there were no passengers on board. ^[5]
• 17 January 1995 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABI), flight RA133 from Kathmandu to Rumjatar, had problems getting airborne at Tribhuvan International Airport, struck the airfield perimeter fence and plunged into fields. Of three crew and 21 passengers, one crew member and one passenger were killed. ^[5]
• 25 April 1996 - RNA BAe 748 Series 2B (9N-ABR) overran the runway at Meghauli Airport, after a flight from Kathmandu, when landing in rain on the grass airstrip. The aircraft ran across some ditches, causing the nosegear to collapse. None of the 4 crew and 27 passengers were injured. ^[5]
• 27 July 2000 - RNA De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABP), on a flight from Bajhang to Dhangadhi, collided with trees on the 4,300 feet Jarayakhali hill on the Churia mountain range before catching fire. All 3 crew and 22 passengers were killed. ^[5]

2007 Goat Sacrifice

On 2 September 2007 the airline confirmed that they had sacrificed two goats as an offering to Akash Bhairab, the Hindu God of the sky, whose image is featured on their aircraft. The sacrifice followed technical problems to one of the Boeing 757 aircraft in the fleet, and took place on the runway in front of the affected aircraft. The 757 later flew from Kathmandu to Hong Kong without problems.^[6]

Fleet

As of August 2006 the Nepal Airlines fleet includes ^[7] :

• 7 De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300
• 1 Boeing 757-200
• 1 Boeing 757-200 Combi

The Boeing 757s are registered as 9N-ACA and 9N-ACB. The airline operates DeHavilland Twin Otters in its domestic flights.

Previously operated

Nepal Airlines operated the following aircraft ^[1] :

• Douglas DC-3 (1950s to 1973)
• Fong Shu Harvester An-2 (1963-65)
• Pilatus PC-6 Porter (1961-98)
• Fokker F27 (1966-70)
• Boeing 727 (1972-93)
• Hawker Siddeley 748 (1970s-2000s)

External links

• Nepal Airlines

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Nepal Airlines retrieved 18 November 2006
2. ^ The Rising Nepal 10 March 2003
3. ^ Tribune India 12 November 2004
4. ^ The Age 9 February 2005
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Aviation Safety Network retrieved 18 November 2006
6. ^ "Goats sacrificed to fix Nepal jet", BBC World, 2007-09-05. Retrieved on 2007-09-13. 
7. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006

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