'Troublesome Chinese planes to go under the hammer in Nepal'

ANI
20 Nov 2022, 08:25 GMT+10

Kathmandu [Nepal], November 19 (ANI): State-owned Nepal Airlines has made a decision to sell Chinese planes and spare parts, which are plagued by breakdowns and a lack of pilots.

Right after they arrived, the three 17-seater and two 56-seater aircraft had turned into "the most expensive white elephants in the carrier's history, The Kathmandu Post reported citing officials.

The five condemned planes are parked at the remote parking bay on the eastern side of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the report said.

The Nepali daily said state-owned airlines have been eager to get rid of the non-flying planes, but bureaucratic hassles forced it to hold on to them even as losses mounted.

Back in September, Nepal Airlines put the Chinese planes up for lease with October 31 deadline for bidders. After there were no bids, the deadline was extended until November 16.

Nepal Airlines spokesperson Archana Khadka said they didn't get a single bid during the extended time either. "Now the management has decided to sell them off."Khadka said they would issue a notice to appoint an international assessor to determine a fair market value of the planes, after Sunday's general elections.

"It may take two to three weeks to appoint the assessor. Based on the assessor's report, we will float a global tender to sell the planes," Khadka was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.

He added that it would take at least two months to complete the process.

After the signing of the agreement in 2012 under the grant and concessional loan aid with the Chinese side, Nepal received the first batch of planes in 2014.

However, the delivery of the rest of the Chinese aircraft was stalled for years. (ANI)

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to International Travel News.

More Information

null in null

Business

Section

Bitcoin soars to a record on Trump policies, institutional demand

NEW YORK CITY, New York: Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high this week, buoyed by growing institutional interest and a wave of pro-crypto...

Huawei eyes new buyers for AI chips amid U.S. export curbs

SHENZHEN, China: As global chip competition intensifies, Huawei Technologies is exploring new markets in the Middle East and Southeast...

U.S. food prices at risk as Brazil tariff hits key imports

LONDON/NEW YORK CITY: American grocery bills may be headed higher as coffee and orange juice prices face upward pressure from new tariffs...

WK Kellogg sold to Ferrero as food giants chase shelf power

BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...

Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...

India seeks WTO nod for retaliatory tariffs on US

NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...

Travel and Tourism

Section

Travelers can now keep shoes on at TSA checkpoints

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...

UAE: CM Mohan Yadav attends 'Madhya Pradesh Business Investment Forum' Program

Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav attended the 'Madhya Pradesh Business Investment Forum Program'...

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launches capacity-building initiatives worth Rs 276 Crore at Visakhapatnam Port

New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal launched multiple Capacity Building...

Logistics, supply chain infrastructure, foreign investment feature as key avenues of discussion during MP CM Yadav's UAE visit

Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav held wideranging interactions with industry experts for bringing...

DGCA asks airlines to conduct fuel switch inspections on Boeing aircraft by July 21

By Shafali Nigam New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): India's civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)...

Jordanian ancient Petra city suffers tourism setback amid regional instability

AMMAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Jordan's most iconic archaeological attraction,...