KATHMANDU: China has provided ‘operating authorisation’ to China Eastern Airlines (CEA) and assigned it to operate flights to Nepal.

China Eastern Airlines, which has its operation base in Kunming city, Yunnan Province, and main transaction centre in Shanghai, has presented a plan to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation for operating three flights per week on Kunming-Kathmandu sector from the first week of September. The airlines proposes to use B 737-700 aircraft for the flight.

It is the third airlines company authorised by the Chinese government to operate flights to Nepal.Air China has been operating seven flights a week from Beijing to Kathmandu and China Southern Airlines three flights a week from Guanghou to Kathmandu as per the provision of allowing designated airlines companies to operate 14 flights per week between the two countries in accordance with the bilateral air services agreement.

With China Eastern Airlines starting its services, the total number of flights operated by the Chinese airlines companies to Nepal will be 13 flights a week.

There are 19 international airline companies flying to Nepal.