RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has recently launched a direct flight from Kathmandu to Saudi Arabia.
The inaugural flight conducted from Kathmandu to King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, by a wide-body Airbus aircraft (A330-200) on April 22 marked the completion of 45 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Saudi Arabia.
NAC has acquired permission to operate flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah. The national flag carrier will conduct flights two days a week using the narrow-body aeroplane in the initial phase.
The NAC flight to Saudi Arabia is viewed as a matter of Nepal’s pride and prestige.
Speaking at a programme organised in Riyadh on Saturday, Riyadh-based Nepali Embassy’s deputy chief of mission, Dilip Kumar Paudel, expressed his hope that connecting Kathmandu with Saudi Arabia with the national flag carrier would further consolidate the diplomatic relations between the two countries and open a door of economic prosperity for the NAC.
Non-Resident Nepali Association, Saudi Arabia, coordinator Rajendra Aryal, said the direct flight link would contribute to promoting the country’s trade.
Presently, there are around 400,000 Nepalis in Saudi Arabia.
[caption id="attachment_22453" align="alignnone" width="1000"]
Officials of the Saudi Arabia and Nepali delegation including lawmakers and former ministers participate in the inauguration flights of Nepal Airlines Corporation at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 22, 2022. The national flag carrier launched the direct flight to Saudi Arabia marking the completion of 45 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Saudi Arabia. Photo: RSS[/caption]
Likewise, lawmaker and former minister of the CPN (UML), Mahesh Basnet, who participated in the launch of flight, also expressed his belief that presence of NAC in Saudi Arabia would strengthen relations between the two countries.
Nepal had to face complexities to bring back the body of Nepali workers who lost their lives in different cities of Saudi Arabia during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic since there was no direct flight from Saudi Arabia to Nepal.
Executive Chairperson of the NAC, Yubraj Adhikari, said the direct flight to Riyadh would make a significant contribution to expanding NAC's goodwill. He informed that a bilateral air service agreement was signed between the two countries in 2015. Nepal also signed air service agreement with 40 different countries including Australia on September 30, 2019. It is the historic flight of NAC in its 63 years of journey, Adhikari said.
Other stakeholders of NAC have expressed their views that it would help create opportunities for tourism and economic investment in Nepal.
Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Senior Vice-President Chandra Prasad Dhakal has said commencement of direct flights to Saudi Arabia will be important in terms of promoting the investment of the non-resident Nepalis and trade promotion.
Sales and Marketing Manager at NAC's Riyadh-based office, Subas Timilsina, said if the flight presently targeted to the labour market can be continued as a commercial one, Riyadh will be economically a successful destination.
NAC has set up its office at Batha in Riyadh. He suggested starting business flights to all three destinations in Saudi Arabia very soon.
Air India, Jazeera Airways, Salam, Air Arabia, and Qatar Airways are operating flights to Nepal with transits in Dubai, Kuwait and India, among other countries at present.
The Himalaya Airlines, a joint investment airlines company of Nepal and China, is operating direct flights to Kathmandu from Riyadh and Dammam.
NAC has offered concessional airfare, managed in-flight food and 40 kilogrammes luggage facility to passengers on the return flight from Riyadh.
It takes about six hours and 15 minutes for the flight from Kathmandu to Riyadh while the return air travel time to Kathmandu is four hours and 50 minutes.
NAC has a plan to operate regular flights to 10 destinations in eight countries.
Before this, NAC had been conducting flights to nine destinations in seven countries including three destinations in India. It has been operating flights to New Delhi, Mumbai and Banglore of India, Dubai, Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Narita, Japan.
NAC has two wide-body Airbus aircraft (A330-200) and two narrow-body A320 aircraft for international flights.
(With inputs from RSS)
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Officials of the Saudi Arabia and Nepali delegation including lawmakers and former ministers participate in the inauguration flights of Nepal Airlines Corporation at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 22, 2022. The national flag carrier launched the direct flight to Saudi Arabia marking the completion of 45 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Saudi Arabia. Photo: RSS[/caption]
Likewise, lawmaker and former minister of the CPN (UML), Mahesh Basnet, who participated in the launch of flight, also expressed his belief that presence of NAC in Saudi Arabia would strengthen relations between the two countries.
Nepal had to face complexities to bring back the body of Nepali workers who lost their lives in different cities of Saudi Arabia during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic since there was no direct flight from Saudi Arabia to Nepal.
Executive Chairperson of the NAC, Yubraj Adhikari, said the direct flight to Riyadh would make a significant contribution to expanding NAC's goodwill. He informed that a bilateral air service agreement was signed between the two countries in 2015. Nepal also signed air service agreement with 40 different countries including Australia on September 30, 2019. It is the historic flight of NAC in its 63 years of journey, Adhikari said.
Other stakeholders of NAC have expressed their views that it would help create opportunities for tourism and economic investment in Nepal.
Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Senior Vice-President Chandra Prasad Dhakal has said commencement of direct flights to Saudi Arabia will be important in terms of promoting the investment of the non-resident Nepalis and trade promotion.
Sales and Marketing Manager at NAC's Riyadh-based office, Subas Timilsina, said if the flight presently targeted to the labour market can be continued as a commercial one, Riyadh will be economically a successful destination.
NAC has set up its office at Batha in Riyadh. He suggested starting business flights to all three destinations in Saudi Arabia very soon.
Air India, Jazeera Airways, Salam, Air Arabia, and Qatar Airways are operating flights to Nepal with transits in Dubai, Kuwait and India, among other countries at present.
The Himalaya Airlines, a joint investment airlines company of Nepal and China, is operating direct flights to Kathmandu from Riyadh and Dammam.
NAC has offered concessional airfare, managed in-flight food and 40 kilogrammes luggage facility to passengers on the return flight from Riyadh.
It takes about six hours and 15 minutes for the flight from Kathmandu to Riyadh while the return air travel time to Kathmandu is four hours and 50 minutes.
NAC has a plan to operate regular flights to 10 destinations in eight countries.
Before this, NAC had been conducting flights to nine destinations in seven countries including three destinations in India. It has been operating flights to New Delhi, Mumbai and Banglore of India, Dubai, Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Narita, Japan.
NAC has two wide-body Airbus aircraft (A330-200) and two narrow-body A320 aircraft for international flights.
(With inputs from RSS)
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Published Date: April 25, 2022, 12:00 am
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