Nepal Airlines (RA), the carrier which offers the maximum number of flights for flights in and out of Tribhuvan International Airport for the month of September, announced that it has paid off a loan of approximately $8.4 million (Nepali Rs. 8,452,418,657) for the various installments of its narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
Nepal Airlines Loans for its Widebody and Narrowbody Aircraft
Nepal Airlines operates a couple of Airbus A320s and a couple of Airbus A330s.
| Aircraft Name | Registration | Aircraft Type | Age | Delivered | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha | 9N-AKW | Airbus A320-200 | 10.7 Years | Feb 2015 | C8Y150 |
| Lumbini | 9N-AKX | Airbus A320-200 | 10.5 Years | Apr 2015 | C8Y150 |
| Annapurna | 9N-ALY | Airbus A330-200 | 7.4 Years | Jun 2018 | C18Y256 |
| Makalu | 9N-ALZ | Airbus A330-200 | 7.3 Years | Jul 2018 | C18Y256 |
These aircraft operated by Nepal Airlines have been named after the following heritages of the nation:
-
Sagarmatha: The Nepali name for Mount Everest, where incidentally, a helicopter has a landed creating the record for the highest landing of a helicopter.
-
Lumbini: Revered as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini represents peace, spirituality, and Nepal’s deep historical and religious heritage.
-
Annapurna: Named after the majestic Himalayan range and the goddess of nourishment, Annapurna is a peak that can be viewed from the glorious city of Pokhara. Pokhara is also home to Pokhara International Airport, an aerodrome that has a lot of influences of China.
-
Makalu: The name of the fifth-highest mountain in the world.
.jpg){kind=link}
The corporation announced that it paid a total amount of approximately $5.3 million (Rs. 530,955,281) on Oct 17, 2025 (the end of the month of Ashwin in the Nepalese calendar) for:
- Full installments of two narrow-body aircraft
- Partial installments of two wide-body aircraft which were purchased for international flights
The loan obligations were a part of the Employees Provident Fund and Citizens Investment Fund. The carrier also made it clear that after the current leadership took over the management of Nepal Airlines Corporation, it had paid close to $8.4 million under the title of debt obligations related to aircraft, adding that:
” In addition, since the global COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the business of corporation, a request letter has been sent to the Employees Provident Fund and Citizen Investment Fund to provide assistance by waiving compound interest, compensation, and penalties of that period and to facilitate the payment of debt obligations by increasing the number of installments, and positive discussions are in this regard. In this context, the corporation with requests expect the necessary support and facilitation from related entity and Government of Nepal.”
Controversies Surrounding Nepal Airlines Loans
In its heyday, Nepal Airlines operated to iconic cities like Frankfurt, Paris, and London. It was also the first operator to the most dangerous airport in the world– Lukla Airport. However, the carrier was pushed to a point of bankruptcy in 2019. The Airbus A330 scam is considered to be the biggest airline scam in Nepal, as the procurement of the A330 jets had led to a loss of $13.38 million (Rs1.47 billion) for the Nepalese government.
In the procurement of the aircraft, the following people were meted out sentences:
| Name of the People | Imprisonment Sentence | Recovery Ordered |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane (tourism joint secretary) | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Shankar Adhikari (former tourism secretary) | One year nine months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Sugat Ratna Kansakar | Two years nine months (reduced to half due to being a senior citizen) | Rs 122.59 million |
| Shishir Kumar Dhungana (former finance secretary) | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
Some of the other people who were given prison senteces included the following:
| Name | Nationality / Role | Affiliation | Imprisonment Sentence | Recovery Ordered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharma | — (Former executive) | AAR | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Christian Nuehlen | German | Hi Fly X Ireland Limited, Dublin | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Oleg Calistru | Romanian and Moldovan | German Aviation Capital | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| John M. Holmes | — (President & CEO) | AAR International | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Ana Topa | — (Managing Director) | German Aviation Capital | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Paulo Mirpuri | — (President) | Hi Fly Airlines Portugal | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
| Gerald Thornton | — (Director) | Hi Fly X Ireland Limited | One year six months | Rs 122.59 million |
Airbus A330 widebody: The Biggest Airline scam in Nepal – Avio Space
.jpg){kind=link}
All in All
The emergence of Nepal Airlines as the leading transporter of passengers via Tribhuvan International Airport is a flicker of hope in the aviation industry of Nepal. And with the country rising from the ashes of Gen-Z revolution, perhaps beautiful things are on the cards. We will have to wait and watch.