Nepal Airlines (RA, Kathmandu) has established a committee to assess the viability of leasing additional aircraft. As reported by Nepal's Bizmandu portal, the committee is headed by Janak Raj Kalalheti, the carrier's commercial director, and is an initiative of the airline's board of directors. The new aircraft would be used to improve the airline's international footprint and to relaunch domestic services.
The report says the committee is looking at the merits of securing two Airbus narrowbodies, two ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops for regional routes, and three Twin Otters for domestic STOL routes. According to ch-aviation PRO airlines data, Nepal Airlines presently operates a fleet comprising two DHC-6-300s, two A320-200s, and two A330-200s. The Airbus jets are all less than 8.2 years old, but the DHC-6s are both more than 38.5 years old. All of the existing planes are owned by Nepal Airlines, so the proposal to dry-lease further aircraft signals a shift in strategy.
According to the report, the additional Airbus aircraft would be used to ramp up the airline's international network, and it name-checked Kuala Lumpur International, Dubai International, Doha Hamad International, Delhi International, and Bengaluru International. These are destinations Nepal Airlines already flies to, indicating that the focus may be on increasing frequencies rather than searching out new destinations. The carrier does not currently operate any domestic STOL routes, however. Its shortest flight is the 813-kilometre route between Kathmandu and Delhi.
Meanwhile, Nepal Airlines continues to try to sell its unwanted Chinese aircraft. The airline stopped flying its two MA-60s and three Y12s in mid-2020, citing high operational costs, poor reliability, and a shortage of type-rated pilots. Efforts to lease or sell the aircraft since then have failed. However, the Nepal Airlines board has now brought in specialist external advisers to evaluate the aircraft and what to do with them, with that process already underway.
