Buddha Air has successfully landed its 18th ATR aircraft in Kathmandu. The new aircraft is an ATR 72-500 series aircraft with Nepal’s registration number of ‘9N-ANZ’ brought from Toulouse, France. With this, the company’s ATR 72 fleet now totals 15. The new aircraft landed Nepal at 9:40 PM yesterday night that had took off from Muscat.
After completing the necessary legal procedures, the aircraft will be brought into service from the month of Shrawan (July-August), the company has stated. The aircraft that Buddha Air has brought this time is 14 years and has Manufacturer Aerial Number MSn No. 0902
Starting from the 1st of Shrawan, the company plans to add one more flight to Dhangadhi and Surkhet. Currently, there are two daily flights to Dhangadhi and Surkhet. The company has also stated that there are plans to increase the number of flights to other destinations with the addition of this new aircraft. Additionally, the company aims to make its flight schedule more efficient along with maintenance and repairs.
Buddha Air currently operates more than 150 domestic flights daily. Internationally, it flies from Kathmandu to Varanasi, India. Similarly, Buddha Air operates flights from Pokhara to Chitwan, Bhairahawa, and Nepalgunj. The airline is also preparing to start flights to Sikkim and Guwahati in India. Buddha Air is planning to apply to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation for permission to fly to these two destinations in India.
In line with its commitment to making air travel easy and convenient, Buddha Air has added this aircraft, said Rupesh Joshi, Buddha Air’s Marketing Director. “With increased flight frequencies and affordable fares, passengers will be able to fly at their convenience.”
Buddha Air is currently the airline with the highest number of flights in Nepal. In the first three months of 2024, its market share reached 63.50%. Buddha Air served 648,265 passengers in the first three months of 2024.
Currently, Buddha Air operates flights from Kathmandu to destinations including Dhangadhi, Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Pokhara, Chitwan, Simara, Janakpur, Rajbiraj, Biratnagar, Bhadrapur, and Tumlingtar. It also operates flights from Pokhara to Bharatpur, Bhairahawa, and Nepalgunj.
