File photo shows signing ceremony of Himalaya Airlines. (Xinhua/Pratap Thapa)
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- "The Belt and Road Initiative has brought new opportunities for China-Nepal cooperation and injected a new impetus to Nepal's economic prosperity," said Zhao Guoqiang, president of Himalaya Airlines, a China-Nepal joint venture, quoted by cri.cn.
Against the background of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's Tibet Airlines set up the Himalaya Airlines jointly with Nepal's HIF (Himalaya Infrastructure Fund) Aviation Investment Company and Yeti World Investment Company, with the two firms jointly holding a 51-percent stake in the joint venture and the rest owned by Tibet Airlines.
As a China-Nepal joint venture airline, Himalaya Airlines has always paid attention to and promoted the development of the civil aviation industry in Nepal, said Zhao.
Since its establishment, Himalaya Airlines has actively communicated with the Nepalese authorities and introduced the experience in civil aviation management to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Thanks to joint efforts, in July 2017, the global aviation watchdog removed the significant safety concern (SSC) tag imposed on Nepal's aviation industry since 2013, Zhao added.
The establishment of Himalaya Airlines is China's largest investment project in Nepal's civil aviation field and also the largest foreign investment project launched by China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to Zhao.
At present, Himalaya Airlines has been operating its direct flights from Kathmandu to Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Dammam and Dubai, which are the most frequent destinations for Nepalese overseas laborers.
The passengers taking flights of the airline back and forth between Nepal and the working areas have not only driven the Nepalese economy, but also brought new insights and development awareness to the Nepalese people, said Vijay Shrestha, vice president (administration) of the joint venture airline.
It is reported that Himalayan Airlines plans to have a fleet of 15 airplanes in the next five years and 30 airplanes in the next ten years. In addition to the main operating base in Kathmandu, it also plans to build operating bases at the upcoming Pokhara and Lumpini airports to further help Nepal build the international aviation market network. (Edited by Hu Pingchao, hupingchao@xinhua.org)
A single purchase
