NAC’s Airbus A330 Airliner- Annapurna receives Air Operator’s Certificate. The very first long-range Airbus A330 Airliner which has been named Annapurna of Nepal Airlines Corporation has finally got the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
The newly-acquired Airbus A330 aircraft named Annapurna was allowed to use for commercial purposes. The national flag carrier had earlier set a target to start operating the 274-seater Annapurna to Doha from 1st of August. However, it still has to receive AOC from the Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar. For every new aircraft, the civil aviation authority of the respective country also has to grant AOC to the concerned aircraft.
According to Rajan Pokharel, deputy director general of CAAN, the authority granted the AOC for Annapurna on 29th of July. “We have studied and completed certain procedures as per the aircraft’s specifications and other general specifications and granted the AOC,” he added.
Earlier, the Annapurna had successfully conducted the proving flight to Delhi from Tribhuvan International Airport on 23rd of July. The flight departed for Delhi under the command of Nepali and foreign crew members – Captain Srawan Rijal, Captain Francois Fernrt, and Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, Antonie Gaignard – including CAAN officials.
The proving flight is a process of test flight done in the presence of CAAN officials to prove that the new aircraft is able to perform as per the specifications set by the manufacturing company, which in this case is Airbus.
According to Rabindra Shrestha, spokesperson for NAC, the Annapurna will be flown by the aforementioned crew members for the time being. “The foreign crew members were sent by AAR Corporation, the company that sold the aircraft,” he said. “They will be here for three months and train other pilots of NAC.”
NAC’s Airbus A330 Airliner- Annapurna receives Air Operator’s Certificate. The national flag carrier had signed an agreement with AAR Corporation to buy two Airbus 330-200 series wide-body aircraft worth $209.6 million. AAR Corporation has provided the aircraft to NAC in partnership with German Capital and Hi-Fly Airlines.
Reference: The Himalayan Times