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RNAC flights face cancellation
KRISHNA REGM
KATHMANDU, Nov 10 - Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) is to see cancellation of around 30 percent of its international flights and delay of around 20 percent flights for three weeks, as one of its two Boeings will be used for the King's upcoming foreign trips.
The Boeing-757-9N ACB is chartered for King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev's trip to Dhaka to attend the 13th SAARC summit.
Likewise, it is chartered to fly to African countries including Tunisia, Burundi, Nigeria and Egypt for King's visits for 20 days, starting from December 13.
"We do not have option, but to cut the international flights by 30 percent and see delay in 20 percent more flights after one of the aircraft has been chartered. But, we have cancelled flights on destinations where the corporation has much less bookings," said an official at the RNAC.
He said that of the cancelled flights, 12 are on Kathmandu-New Delhi sector, four are on Kathmandu-Bangalore, four on Kathmandu-Mumbai, and three flights for Bangkok, among others.
"We are planning to use the remaining single Boeing aircraft to the maximum extent. It has become little easier to reschedule flights and arrange alternative flights to those passengers who have already booked tickets as the aircraft was chartered in advance," said the official.
The flight cancellation and delay will further erode the credibility and goodwill of the corporation, thereby giving a serious blow to its effort to compete with other airlines.
"This reflects an urgent need for the RNAC to purchase new aircraft to ensure its flights on time," said the official. However, he said as the aircraft was chartered at a price of US$ 11,000 per flight hour, this money will offset the loss to be incurred by the flight cancellation.
Almost all airlines, including RNAC, which connect Nepal from other international destinations, have recorded the ticket booking in the range of 80 to 90 percent, propelled by growing number of tourists this season due to unilateral ceasefire by the Maoist, said an airline operator.
The flight cancellation is also expected to partly contribute to hinder the growth of tourism sector during the ongoing peak season.
A tourism entrepreneur said at a time when the RNAC should have added flights during the peak season of tourism, it is going to cancel the exiting flights. "It is distressing for the whole tourism sector," he said, talking to the Post.
Due to shortage of big-bodied aircraft, the RNAC has been facing a tough time to sustain, as it continued to lose its market share in the measured pace.
According to a preliminary report, the RNAC incurred loss amounting to Rs 300 million over the last year.
RNAC flies to 10 destinations in seven countries. In total, it has 23 international scheduled flights a week.
The official also cautioned that the old-status of the remaining Boeing jets may further worsen the situation, thereby forcing the RNAC to cancel all its international flights.
"We can not rule out the chances of the aircraft facing technical problem due to its condition. In case such unpleasant situation happens, all our international flights will be halted," he said.
RNAC had purchased Boeing-757 -9N ACB aircraft in 1988 and Boeing-757-9N ACA in 1987.
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