After a 10-year-long break, Nepal Airlines is finally all set to fly its aircraft in Japanese air space!<\/p>\n
A recent update informed about Nepal Airlines Corporation\u2019s (NAC) plans to begin its flight operations to Japan from September 2018.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, Nepal will be operating three weekly flights to Tokyo.<\/p>\n
The Nepal Tourism Ministry has already assigned seven weekly flights to fly from Nepal to Tokyo Narita International Airport or Tokyo Narita Airport.<\/p>\n
However, NAC is keen on resuming its services only after having its awaited two long-range Airbus A330 jets on board, one of which has arrived on June 28, 2018.<\/p>\n
\nWe are making necessary arrangements like appointing general sales agents to begin flights by September, says Rabindra Shrestha, NAC Spokesperson<\/span>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nRevised Agreements Give New Boost<\/strong><\/p>\nThe latest update is coming as a follow-up to the revised Air Service Agreement (ASA) signed between Nepal and Japan on June 18, 2018.<\/p>\n
Under the revised agreement, the two sides decided to increase the number of flights from Nepal to Japan by seven-fold, from twice a week to 14 weekly flights allowing aircraft of any type on a reciprocal basis.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the government gives the go-ahead, the national flag carrier will formally apply for operating authorization at Narita International Airport with the Japanese Government,\u201d says Pramod Nepal, Under Secretary at the Ministry.<\/p>\n
Prior to this, NAC prepared to resume its flights to the Kansai International Airport in Osaka owing to the old ASA that doesn\u2019t allow operations in other Japanese airports.<\/p>\n
Now, the revised ASA comes as a relief allowing NAC to fly its airplanes to Narita International and other Japanese airports as well.<\/p>\n
It is noteworthy here that Narita and Kansai International Airports alone account for 68 percent of the air traffic from Japan to Nepal.<\/p>\n
77% Rise in Air Traffic<\/strong><\/p>\n
A 2015 Air Traffic Analysis report by Airbus shows a 77 percent rise in air traffic from Japan to Nepal in the last five years period (from nearly 48,000 one-way travellers).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Nepal received 27,326 Japanese tourists in 2017 and has also seen a rise in the number of its people living in Japan exceeding 60,000 compared to 31,531 as of 2013.<\/p>\n
According to the Tourism Ministry, the number of Nepalis in Japan is going to increase further in the future in the light of the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.<\/p>\n