New airline receives permission for operating flights to Dhaka

Dhaka: Nepalese private carrier Shree Airlines has received permission to operate regular international flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) confirmed on April 17. The airline has been permitted to operate services to Dhaka and the Indian cities of Delhi and Kolkata from its base in Kathmandu.

Previously, the carrier was only authorized to conduct non-scheduled charter flights in the international sector. "Now we have received permission to operate regular international flights," said Anil Manandhar, Managing Director of the airline.

Shree Airlines has already sent a formal letter to the Nepal government to initiate the "designation" process for flights to Bangladesh and India. Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will subsequently recommend Shree Airlines for both countries under the bilateral air services agreements and forward the recommendation through the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the respective embassies.

Earlier, on April 6, the airline conducted a successful demonstration flight to Kolkata. A team of 15 people, including eight CAAN technicians, participated in the test flight. Following a positive technical report, CAAN added the international sector to Shree's air operator certificate.

Shree Airlines is the second private Nepali carrier to receive permission to operate regular international flights from domestic ones. Buddha Air had previously obtained such international authorization in 2010.

The airline currently operates at least 40 domestic flights daily, placing it third among Nepal's domestic carriers. Its fleet comprises 17 aircraft, including two Bombardier CRJ-200s, seven De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400s, six Russian Mil Mi-17 helicopters, and two Eurocopter AS350 B3E helicopters.

Initially, Shree Airlines will deploy its DHC-8 and CRJ-200 aircraft on international routes, with plans to acquire three narrow-body jets within a year for further expansion.

Shree will still require final authorization from the civil aviation authorities of Bangladesh and India before commencing scheduled operations. Once cleared, the airline will appoint local agents in both countries to begin ticket sales.

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