Buddha Air has imported the first ATR-72-600 aircraft in the country today. The aircraft will be put into flight service from next month after completing the necessary paperwork, the company said in a press release.
Buddha Air has imported the aircraft with call sign 9N-AOS from Toulouse, France.
This ATR-72-600 aircraft has a flight system with a full glass cockpit, modern navigation system, digital flight management and advanced safety systems.
This series of aircraft is considered environmentally friendly as it consumes less fuel in regional aircraft. Similarly, the company claims that noise pollution will be less than the previous series due to the improved structure inside the aircraft.
The ATR-72-600 series aircraft is equipped with the RNP-AR (Required Navigation Performance-Authorization Required) approach system.
With the help of this proven system, aircraft can be safely landed at Kathmandu and Bhairahawa airports even when the visibility is about 900 meters.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal is also studying the implementation of RNP-AR based flight procedures at Pokhara International Airport.
After the implementation of this procedure, it is possible for this Buddha Air aircraft to fly and land safely even when the visibility is about 2000 meters, according to a Buddha Air press release. The company claims that flight delays and disruptions due to low visibility will be reduced.
Currently, according to the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedure, 3100 meters of visibility is required for Pokhara and 1600 meters for Kathmandu and Bhairahawa.
More aircraft coming
Buddha Air has said that it is preparing to add another ATR-72-600 series aircraft in late August/September. The company has informed that the call sign of the aircraft received from the Civil Aviation Authority is 9N-AOT.
Similarly, Buddha Air has stated that it plans to procure two more aircraft of the same series within the next few months. Buddha Air currently has one ATR-42-320, fifteen ATR-72-500 and one ATR-72-600 aircraft.
Buddha Air currently operates more than 140 domestic flights daily, while internationally it operates flights from Kathmandu to Varanasi, India, 3 times a week and Kolkata 4 times a week
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