Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) Boeing 757 has been grounded at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok for the last five days, incurring huge amount of losses due to negligence from the management.

The Boeing 9N-ACB was flown to Bangkok airport last Friday and has remained grounded since then.

Sources at NAC said that the management failed to replace “protective breathing equipment” that is installed on airplanes to supply oxygen to crewmembers. The breathing device should be replaced every 10 years. “Knowing that the device life has expired and it needed to be changed, the management did not show any concern,” said the source.

It would not take more than an hour to install the protective breathing equipment if the device was brought in Nepal, said the sources. “However, the aircraft was flown to Bangkok airport last Friday knowing that that the life of the device has expired.”  

According to NAC officials, the device has been ordered from Atlanta in the US.

Sources said that the management negligence would cost millions in losses for the corporation. “The plane has been grounded at the peak tourist season and all its bookings have been cancelled.” Likewise, the corporation has to pay hefty parking charges at the airport.

The issue was also discussed at the NAC’s board meeting on Sunday. “It’s sheer negligence from the management and also a serious issue that could cost dearly to the national flag carrier,” said Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, a board member of NAC representing Tourism Ministry. “The issue will be investigated.”

NAC Spokesperson Rabindra Shrestha said that the 9N-ACB Boeing has been grounded at the Bangkok airport due to some technical reason. He did not elaborate the technical reason, but said that the device that needs to be replaced has been ordered already.

The carrier to auction one of its Boeing 757

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has said an auction notice will be issued this week to sell one of its two vintage Boeing 757s. The corporation had received the go-ahead from its board of directors last month to sell the plane. The national flag carrier has set a minimum sale price of $1.7 million for its 30-year-old Karnali bearing registration number 9N-ACA. “All the documents required to issue auction notice has been finalized,” said NAC Spokesperson Rabindra Shrestha. “We have planned to issue global notice on Thursday.”

The 9N-ACA arrived in Nepal in 1987 and flew on long-haul routes, displaying the national flag at world airports. The 757 holds 190 passengers and is of the ‘combi’ variety with a forward cargo hatch. The Boeing 757 is a mid-sized, narrow body twin-engine jet built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was in production from 1981 to 2004.