Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) had selected a foreign consortium, Hi Fly, to supply it with two Airbus A330-200. The consortium has formally placed an order for the aircraft with the manufacturer and indicated that they will be delivered on time, reports The Kathmandu post.
The Airbus website wrote, “Hi Fly has placed its first direct firm order with Airbus for two A330-200s.”
NAC had previously transferred $79 million into the escrow account held by Norton Rose Fulbright in Europe as advance payment for the two wide-body aircraft. The total payment is 35 percent of the cost of the jets.
NAC had signed a $209.6-million contract with the consortium of three companies led by AAR Corp to buy two long-range Airbus A330-200, making it the largest ever aircraft purchase deal in Nepal’s aviation history.
NAC officials said that the company called Hi Fly X Ireland will specifically look into the procurement process.
Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, joint secretary at the Tourism Ministry said, “Hi Fly X Ireland has been barred from accepting other aircraft delivery orders until it supplies the two aircraft to NAC.”
According to the Airbus website, the new A330s have a two-class cabin layout, seating 18 passengers in business and 256 in economy. A330 family is the most cost-efficient and capable widebody aircraft to date. It has attracted nearly 1,700 orders and over 1,300 A330 family aircraft are currently flying with more than 110 operators worldwide.
NAC said that out of two planes, one is expected to arrive in Nepal in May, and the other by June in 2018.
