Namaste Air, a newly licensed domestic airline, is making preparations to start flying on the domestic routes within three months. The company received the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) towards the end of 2012. AOC is the go-ahead document from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

According to Raju KC (Khatri), Executive Chairman of the company, internal preparations are underway to start flights at the earliest. “Currently we are doing the groundwork to commence flights with two 78-seater ATR-72,” he said.
Namaste Air is also speeding up its internal infrastructure development and training pilots and co-pilots. According to KC, the company is collaborating with an American company named Pentagon Capital to bring two ATR aircraft at the first stage. He said his company has received CAAN’s permission to bring the craft and has already sent US $ 60,000 to the supplier of the craft a month ago.

KC also claimed that the company is to import airplanes of the latest model that no Nepali Airline possesses so far. According to him, the model is 2007 and the craft has flown for just about 5 years. Initially, two airplanes will be imported and then after 2-3 months other two 42-seater ATR-42 will be purchased.

Namaste Air has said that it will bring the airplanes on lease but plans to acquire the full ownership soon.

The company has permission to operate flights to eight trunk routes of Nepal—Pokhara, Biratnagar, Chandragadhi, Nepalgunj, Kathmandu, Tumlingtar and Dhangadhi from its base in Bhairahawa. “We will compete with the airlines that are currently operating in Nepal,” said KC. According to the existing rules, a company seeking to start an airline service has to have a paid-up capital of Rs150 million and furnish a bank guarantee worth Rs 200,000. Namaste Air will have a challenge to compete with major airlines such as Buddha Air and Yeti Air that have been flying on the trunk routes.