August 16, 2000

KATHMANDU:  You can not separate a plane from an airline. But for the Royal Nepal Airlines it is often for the wrong reasons. Recently, RNAC decided to go for sealed quotations to lease a Boeing 767-300 ER after failing to find an aircraft through a tender.

When the airlines fourth tender in the last three months also failed to attract any good bidders, the airlines thought it had to get a plane by other means to replace the leased B757. There were only two bidders, one of them being Annset, but RNAC rejected both of them on technical grounds. The B757 leased from the China Southwest Airline is going back in about a months time.

Meanwhile, RNAC’s decision to buy two new planes for its domestic and regional flights has also fallen into controversy. Recently, RA had decided to buy two ATR-72-500 directly from its manufacturers. The 70-seater aircraft was adjudged by RA to be most suitable among the five bidders.

The Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament on Monday demanded an explanation from RNAC about the procurement procedure of the planes. According to a report, after the PAC’s demand the Ministry of Civil Aviation has also withheld US$ 200,000 to be sent to the manufacturer.

While everything that goes on within the RNAC is being looked with suspicion, but when everybody becomes too nosy about the affair of the airlines, it could create more problem than solve them.