Kathmandu, January 5:

Fishtail Air is all set to resume its operations in February.

Citing a fall in demand for chartered services and a sharp decline in the inflow of tourists to Nepal due to security reasons, Fishtail Air had suspended its operations in September 2003.

The airline has already finalised a deal to bring in an Ecureuil helicopter for its rotor-wing operations.

“We have decided to resume our air operations after taking the country’s favourable political climate into account,” Bikas Rana, chairman of Fishtail Air told this daily. He expressed optimism that the airline would be able to perform better in the aviation sector considering the ongoing efforts for the peace process.

“We are optimistic that the renewed hope for permanent peace and tremendous possibilities of increasing tourist arrivals in the country will be favourable for us,” Rana said .

To begin with, Fishtail airline will operate chartered and rescue flights with its six-seater “light utility” Ecureuil helicopter and then purchase another helicopter after six months, said Rana.

“We have finalised the deal of purchasing the first helicopter from a French celebrity,” he said declining to disclose the actor’s name.

The chopper is expected to arrive in Kathmandu next month.

Fishtail Air had suspended its operations in September 2003 citing a fall in demand for chartered services and a sharp decline in the inflow of tourists to Nepal due to security reasons.

After its Air Operation Certificate (AOC) lapsed on 14 July 2006, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal renewed the airline’s Air Operation Certificate on October 30 permitting the grounded airline to resume its operations.

“We had initially refused to renew the AOC of a non-operational airline like Fishtail but we eventually gave them the green signal to operate after they produced an agreement to purchase the chopper,” said a CAAN official.

Although the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has already permitted the airline to buy the Ecureuil helicopter, it will give a clearance to the airline to fly the chopper following its official inspection, he added.

Shree Air, Air Dynasty and Impro Air are the only airlines that are currently into rotor-wing operations. Manang Air, Karnali Air and Simrik Air have temporarily stalled their operations,

said Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal while Helihans and Asian Airlines’ chartered operations also remain suspended.