Nepal Airlines (RA, Kathmandu) has finalized the sale of B757-200 9N-ACA (msn 23850) following a six-month tender process. According to the Khasokhas Weekly magazine, the aircraft was sold to Bhawan Bhatta, the Managing Director of dormant Nepali carrier BB Airways (BBW, Kathmandu), for NPR151 million Nepali rupee (USD1.46 million).

BB Airways was among several bidders for the 30-year-old twinjet alongside US-based Avion Systems, Himalaya Aviation Consultant, TBI Group Nepal, and Israel-based APS Airparts, Services and Supplies and two individuals, Janardan Man Dangol and Anu Manandhar.

"We have purchased one B757-200 for BB Airways," said corporate director and spokesperson Ravindra Shrestha. "We have also made a 10% down-payment on the aircraft."

According to the report, once it has been returned to operational service, 9N-ACA will be deployed on the Kathmandu-Delhi International, India route suggesting BB Airways will be resuming operations in due course. BB Airways briefly operated regional Asian flights in 2012/13 using a B757-200 wet-leased from the now-defunct Cambodian operator, TonléSap Airlines (Phnom Penh).