Nepal, Hong Kong review air service

Nepal, Hong Kong review air service
eKantipur.com, 24-May-07

Nepal has reviewed air service agreement (ASA) with Hong Kong at a two-day bilateral aviation meeting that concluded there on Wednesday.

The review, which allows 14 passenger flights each week from each destination, is aimed at clearing the way for new airlines to conduct flights between Kathmandu and the Chinese special administrative region.

As of now, both Nepal and Hong Kong are enjoying facility of operating flights having up to 900 air seats per week.

“Beside, the ASA review permits unlimited number of air cargo flights between the two destinations,” said Dinesh Hari Adhikari, joint secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA).

Currently, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is the only airline operating flights to Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific has already announced that it would start flights from Hong Kong to Kathmandu. But, it has not disclosed when those will commence.

“With the review in the ASA, airlines from Nepal and Hong Kong may serve five intermediate and five beyond points without fifth freedom rights,” said Adhikari.

Madhav Prasad Ghimire, secretary at the MoCTCA led the Nepali delegation during the meeting while Albert Tang, principal assistant secretary at Economic Development and Labor Bureau headed the Hong Kong delegation.

He said the ASA review with Hong Kong was necessary to pave the way for additional flights from new private airlines in Nepal. “Of the total 900 weekly seats available for Nepal, the national flag carrier uses 600 seats. So, there were no adequate air seats for other private airlines,” he said.

Nepal has signed ASAs with nearly three dozen countries. However, it has direct flights with only around a dozen countries.