Tourism Minister Tamang stresses on protecting NAC's prestige

KATHMANDU, JULY 1: Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Hit Bahadur Tamang, has said that everyone should protect the dignity of the national flag carrier – the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).

Addressing the 66th Anniversary Programme of NAC today, Minister Tamang said the dignity of the national flag carrier, which has been successful in establishing a unique identity in national and international civil aviation despite various ups and downs, should not be tainted.

"The Nepal Airlines Corporation is entering its 67th year after passing through a long history. It has been successful in creating its separate identity through various ups and downs in its long history. It is necessary to devise a concrete plan for its further progress," Minister Tamang said.

A procession was organized this morning on the occasion. The procession set out from the NAC's central office at New Road and passed through New Road, Basantapur, Aakash Bhairav, Ghantaghar, Bhadrakali, and Sundhara before concluding at the NAC central office.

Established on July 1, 1958, as the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, NAC is the oldest airline service provider entity in Nepal. It has been operating international flights from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to New Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai in India; to Hong Kong; Malaysia; Thailand; Narita in Japan; Doha in Qatar; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. NAC has been operating flights in the international sector with two wide-body A330 and two narrow-body A320 series aeroplanes.

In the domestic sector, NAC has been providing air services to more than 22 destinations in remote areas. NAC started its flight services domestically and to some destinations in India with the Douglas DC-3 Dakota plane. It brought into operation its first jet airliner, the Boeing 727, in 2028 BS. The national flag carrier had seven aircraft in its fleet as of July 13, 2020.

NAC operated domestic flights in the 1960s with Pilatus Porter aircraft and the 12-seater Chinese Feng Sou-2 Harvester plane in 1962.