Sunday, October 23, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Three international carriers plan to link Kathmandu
A rebound in tourist arrivals in the last two years has prompted a number of international airlines to connect Nepal. Aeroflot, Sri Lankan Airlines and RAK Airways have shown interest in flying to Kathmandu in the near future.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA), Russian carrier Aeroflot is planning to resume flights to Nepal while Sri Lankan Airlines and UAE-based RAK Airways are two other potential airlines to serve Nepal. Ministry sources said discussions were underway through diplomatic channels.
The growing interest of international airlines in Nepal is due to swelling passenger movement. With more Nepalis departing for foreign employment and increased visitor arrivals, international passenger movement surged 19.39 percent in the first six months of 2011 compared to the same period last year. In the first nine months of 2011, tourist arrivals by air amounted to 369,844.
Aeroflot had suspended flights to Nepal some eight-nine years ago. The MoTCA source said that the carrier was seeking to operate flights to Kathmandu by utilizing fifth freedom rights from Delhi, India. The right of fifth freedom allows an airline to carry passengers from its country to another country through a third country.
Similarly, Sri Lankan Airlines has again revived its plan to connect Nepal. The carrier wants to fly to Nepal via New Delhi. The carrier was granted fifth freedom rights in 2008.
Likewise, RAK Airways wishes to add Kathmandu to its network but the inadequate air seats provided by the Air Service Agreement (ASA) signed between the UAE and Nepal has emerged as a hindrance to its plans. “To allow RAK Airways to Nepal, the ministry needs to review the existing ASA,” said MoTCA joint secretary Suresh Acharya.
The ASA between Nepal and UAE allows 28 frequencies per week. Currently, there are three airlines—Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Etihad Airways—flying between Nepal and the UAE. Air Arabia and Fly Dubai operate 14 flights per week while Etihad Airways is operating seven flights per week.
The MoTCA has allowed international airlines serving Nepal to operate an additional seven weekly flights with a temporary operating permit (TOP) for countries that have signed ASAs with Nepal.
With the government barring Air Arabia from exercising its fifth freedom right to fly on the Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur sector last year that gave rise to diplomatic problems between the UAE and Nepal besides throwing up legal issues, Acharya said that the MoTCA was assessing refreshing bilateral relations and reviewing the ASA. Recently, the ministry concluded that preventing Air Arabia from exercising its fifth freedom right would be a violation of the ASA.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Nepal Army plane missing
A Nepal Army plane (RAN-49 BN2T) en route to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj has gone out of contact since 7 pm, Tuesday, Avenus TV reported.
It is suspected that the plane has met with an accident at Gowad-9, Baglung, the TV added.
However, News 24 TV said the plane was carrying six passengers including a doctor and patient
Source Kathmandu Post
Monday, October 17, 2011
Buddha Air to fly to Varanasi from March
Buddha Air has announced that it will be starting its Kathmandu-Varanasi service from March 1, 2012 as part of the drive to expand its international network.
The carrier said it would be operating four weekly flights (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). Varanasi lies in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and is regarded as a holy city by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.
“The objective of connecting Varanasi is the route’s prospects as it is a pilgrimage site and there are also business and education opportunities,” said Buddha Air in a press release.
On Jan 7, the carrier began operating flights to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, as its second international destination after Bhutan. It began commercial flights to Paro, Bhutan with an 18-seater Beechcraft 1900D on Aug 23, 2010.
Buddha Air went international after 14 years of domestic service. It is the first foreign airline to serve Bhutan. (Source kantipur)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Gurkha Soldier VIJAY RAI killed in Afghanistan
However, the soldier from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, BBC quoted taskforce Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Mackenzie as saying that the soldier received a fatal gunshot wound while protecting a checkpoint.
The incident in Nahr-e Saraj takes to 383 the number of British forces killed in Afghanistan in the last 10 years.
Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Kathmandu has confirmed this casualty without disclosing the identity of the dead soldier.
It was the first fatalit in Afghanistan for almost a month. SOURCE nepalnews.comThe Pretty Newari Girls
The Pretty Newari Girls
Here are some of the pretty Newari Girls pictures. They are also called as Jyapuni belonging to the Newari Community of Nepal.
The Newar Community has their own tradition such as their traditional dress like worn by the Newari girls above. The traditional dress of Newari girl is called as Hakku Patasi.
There are a lot of interesting things about the Newari Community. For now just enjoy watching the Newari beauties in their traditional dress.
The Newar Community has their own tradition such as their traditional dress like worn by the Newari girls above. The traditional dress of Newari girl is called as Hakku Patasi.
There are a lot of interesting things about the Newari Community. For now just enjoy watching the Newari beauties in their traditional dress.
Fuel prices go up for fifth time this year
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has hiked petroleum prices for the fifth time this year. The state-owned monopoly jacked up the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene by Rs 3 per litre each effective from Monday. Similarly, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has become dearer by Rs 75 per cylinder.
Petrol now costs Rs. 88 per litre, diesel Rs 68.50 per litre, kerosene Rs 68.50 per litre and LPG Rs 1,325 per cylinder.
NOC said that a rise in international prices and increased road maintenance and upgrading charges levied on petrol and diesel by the government had forced it to raise the rates. The government recently doubled the road maintenance and upgrading charge on petrol to Rs 4 per litre and on diesel to Rs 2 per litre. NOC managing director Digambar Jha said that the international price of crude oil was US$ 74 per barrel in July when NOC last revised fuel prices. “The price has risen to US$ 90 in the last five months.”
Similarly, the price of LPG in the international market was US$ 590 per ton in September which soared to US$ 783 in December, Jha added.
The price hike means NOC will collect monthly profits of Rs 30 million from petrol, Rs 110 million from kerosene and Rs 30 million from aviation fuel. However, the corporation will be incurring monthly losses of Rs 200 million on LPG and Rs 140 million on diesel. “In total, we will be losing Rs 170 million each month,” Jha said. NOC said the government’s decision to double the road maintenance charge had added Rs 28.44 and Rs 11.56 to the price of a litre of petrol and diesel respectively. The government will now be taking in Rs 180 million each month as road maintenance charge. Similarly, the government will be collecting Rs 149 on each cylinder of LPG.
Prem Lal Maharjan, chairperson of the National Consumers Forum, said that the government’s decision to double the road maintenance charge was not reasonable. “The government is fuelling inflation when consumers are already suffering from double-digit price rises,” he added.
“Everyone knows about the condition of the roads. The government is collecting Rs 20 million each day in the name of road maintenance, but it has been doing nothing,” Maharjan said. “The hefty tax levied on LPG shows how the government is increasing the burden on the people.”
Petrol now costs Rs. 88 per litre, diesel Rs 68.50 per litre, kerosene Rs 68.50 per litre and LPG Rs 1,325 per cylinder.
NOC said that a rise in international prices and increased road maintenance and upgrading charges levied on petrol and diesel by the government had forced it to raise the rates. The government recently doubled the road maintenance and upgrading charge on petrol to Rs 4 per litre and on diesel to Rs 2 per litre. NOC managing director Digambar Jha said that the international price of crude oil was US$ 74 per barrel in July when NOC last revised fuel prices. “The price has risen to US$ 90 in the last five months.”
Similarly, the price of LPG in the international market was US$ 590 per ton in September which soared to US$ 783 in December, Jha added.
The price hike means NOC will collect monthly profits of Rs 30 million from petrol, Rs 110 million from kerosene and Rs 30 million from aviation fuel. However, the corporation will be incurring monthly losses of Rs 200 million on LPG and Rs 140 million on diesel. “In total, we will be losing Rs 170 million each month,” Jha said. NOC said the government’s decision to double the road maintenance charge had added Rs 28.44 and Rs 11.56 to the price of a litre of petrol and diesel respectively. The government will now be taking in Rs 180 million each month as road maintenance charge. Similarly, the government will be collecting Rs 149 on each cylinder of LPG.
Prem Lal Maharjan, chairperson of the National Consumers Forum, said that the government’s decision to double the road maintenance charge was not reasonable. “The government is fuelling inflation when consumers are already suffering from double-digit price rises,” he added.
“Everyone knows about the condition of the roads. The government is collecting Rs 20 million each day in the name of road maintenance, but it has been doing nothing,” Maharjan said. “The hefty tax levied on LPG shows how the government is increasing the burden on the people.”
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