KATHMANDU: Buddha Air has added a new ATR 72-600 aircraft to its fleet and plans to bring it into commercial operation next month after completing the required regulatory procedures.
According to the airline, the aircraft, bearing the call sign 9N-AOS, was ferried from Toulouse, France.
The ATR 72-600 is equipped with a full glass cockpit avionics suite, modern navigation systems, digital flight management technology and advanced safety features. The airline said the aircraft is also more fuel-efficient, making it an environmentally friendly addition to its fleet.
Buddha Air said the newly acquired aircraft is fitted with the Required Navigation Performance Authorization Required (RNP-AR) approach system, which enables safer landings at Kathmandu and Bhairahawa airports in visibility as low as 900 metres.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is also studying the implementation of RNP-AR-based flight procedures at Pokhara International Airport. Once introduced, the system is expected to allow the aircraft to safely take off and land at Pokhara in visibility of around 2,000 metres.
The airline said the technology is expected to reduce flight delays and disruptions caused by poor visibility while improving operational safety, service quality and schedule reliability.
Under the current Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures, aircraft require a minimum visibility of 3,100 metres at Pokhara Airport and 1,600 metres at Kathmandu and Bhairahawa airports.
Buddha Air also announced plans to add another ATR 72-600 aircraft by the end of August, followed by two more aircraft of the same series in the coming months.
The airline’s current fleet consists of one ATR 42-320, fifteen ATR 72-500s and one ATR 72-600 aircraft.
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