The plan of non-defunct Nepali private carrier BB Airways to take to the skies again after purchasing a 30-year-old Boeing 757 from the Nepal Airlines Corporation is “unlikely” to materialise any time soon.

The carrier had recently applied to the Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry to renew its licence to resume international operations. Following the request, the ministry has sought the views of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan), the regulator, on the proposal.

The issuance of licence enables the airline to initiate the process to obtain the air operator’s certificate (AOC) from the Caan. The AOC, in turn, allows airline companies to use aircraft for commercial purpose.

The 757, named Karnali with the registration 9N-ACA, was sold to Bhawan Bhatta, managing director of BB Airways, for $1.46 million in December last year. The carrier, promoted by Bhatta, currently the president of the Non-resident Nepali Association (NRNA), had launched services to Kuala Lumpur in October 2012, but ceased operations after a few months.

It has initiated process to take to the skies again after buying the 757 in an auction. The plane needs a complete overhaul including replacement of its two engines. But the plane will not be able to fly abroad. After obtaining the licence, the carrier has to get “no-objection certificate” from the Caan, a mandatory rule that permits airlines to purchase or lease aircraft.

However, given the number of procedures and stringent measures to get the AOC, it will take at least one-and-a-half years to get the nod from the aviation regulator to fly the aircraft if the process is fast-tracked, said sources at the Caan.Until then, the Boeing 757 will remain at the NAC’s hanger. BB Airways has to pay for the hanger charge until its aircraft is removed. The aircraft cannot even fly out of Nepal under NAC registration now, said the sources. Recently, NAC had requested the Caan to de-register the aircraft and transfer the ownership to BB Airways. Yet another legal complexity has arisen. “There is no provision for transferring ownership of the aircraft to the company that doesn’t have the flying licence.”

“In fact, there are lots of legal complications,” said the sources.Meanwhile, the aviation regulatory body has also recently taken a decision that it would not issue the AOC for new airlines until the country’s second international airport in Bhairahawa is constructed as the capacity of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the country’s sole international airport, has hit the saturation point.

“The ministry has asked for our views whether BB Airways should be issued the licence,” said Rajan Pokhrel, deputy director general of Caan. “We are discussing the proposal. We have invited the airline officials to discuss the issue on Monday,” said Pokhrel. “We will clarify to them that the AOC cannot be issued if it plans to operate from the TIA.” However, the airline has the option of applying for the AOC if it is ready to fly from the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa as its base. The airport is expected to be completed by 2019.

If BB Airways is positive, said Pokhrel, the Caan would give a go-ahead to the ministry to renew the licence. Another non-operational carrier Alpine Air also filed an application at the ministry recently to renew its licence to begin international flight 

operations.