Buddha Air’s First ATR-42 ‘9N-AIN’ RETIRES After 16 Years of Service in Nepal

Buddha Air’s ATR-42 aircraft, which has been flying in Nepal for 16 years, is retiring from commercial flights on 10th of September 2024, Tuesday. The 47-seater aircraft, registered as ‘9N-AIN’ aged 21.9 Years with Serial Number 403, was the first ATR plane acquired by Buddha Air for its domestic flights back in 2008. Before Buddha, the aircraft was operated by Air Calédonie, France. Buddha Air is the airline in Nepal with the largest fleet of ATR aircraft, which includes three 47-seater ATR-42 and fifteen 70-seater ATR-72 planes.

According to a senior AME at Buddha Air, the plane was purchased after completing around 30,000 flight cycles abroad. In aviation, a “flight cycle” is defined as one takeoff and one landing. ATR aircraft are required to retire from commercial service after reaching 70,000 flight cycles. At that point, components like the landing gears, engines, and cockpit instruments may still be used, but the aircraft’s fuselage (the main body) must be retired from commercial service.

An ATR aircraft is required to retire after 70,000 cycles due to regulations established by the manufacturer, based on testing done in cooperation with American and European aviation authorities. Buddha Air’s AME stated that it is rare for ATR planes to reach 70,000 flight cycles, even outside Nepal.

On Monday, the retiring aircraft completed 14 domestic flights. On Tuesday morning, it is scheduled to take its final flight, a mountain flight around the Himalayas. This special flight will include two representatives from ATR’s regional office in Singapore, a few bankers who have supported Buddha Air financially, and around 16-17 other passengers. After the flight, the aircraft will return to Kathmandu airport, where it will be greeted with a water cannon salute before being moved to Buddha Air’s hangar. The aircraft’s registration will then be canceled, and usable parts will be removed. The remaining airframe will be donated to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal for training purposes, according to Birendra Bahadur Basnet, the Executive Chairman of Buddha Air.

In aviation, airplanes have a “life” but not “age” in the traditional sense; regular maintenance and replacement of parts ensure that an aircraft remains safe to fly. For example, the Nepal Airlines Corporation’s Twin Otter aircraft does not have a defined cycle limit like the ATRs; its parts can be replaced as needed to keep it operational.

According to YK Bhattarai, a retired Boeing 757 captain who served with Nepal Airlines for 30 years, this is likely the first time in Nepal’s 75-year aviation history that an aircraft has retired after completing its full “life cycle.” In Nepal, planes are usually grounded, involved in accidents, or sold when they become too old. Bhesh Raj Subedi, a retired aviation expert, noted that around 300 aircraft have been brought to Nepal by various airlines, with about 70 involved in accidents, some being grounded due to company closures, and others being sold abroad.

Subedi mentioned that retiring an aircraft after completing its full cycle according to company policy is probably a first for Nepal. While such events are more common in countries like the United States, Buddha Air’s decision to retire the plane after completing its life cycle safely is considered a celebratory moment for the Nepalese aviation industry.