Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 4:

Yeti Airlines, one of the leading domestic airlines company of Nepal, has acquired two SAAB 340 B aircrafts, expanding its fleet to six. Meanwhile, one aircraft has been already landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport, states a press release issued here by Yeti Airlines today. Another aircraft will be arriving in Kathmandu by the end of this month. At the initial phase, the aircraft will be used for scheduled flights on four different routes, where passengers are having difficulties in getting air seats. The routes include Biratnagar, Pokhara, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj linking Kathmandu.

Upon the availability of the second aircraft, Yeti Airlines plans to operate scheduled flights on Kathmandu-Bhadrapur route. Besides scheduled flights, the 36-seater fleet will also be used for daily Everest sightseeing flights. Yeti Airlines so far provides the largest frequency of flights to remote sectors such as Taplejung, Manang, Rumjatar, Dolpo, Jumla and Simikot in the country. Currently, the airlines operates scheduled air services to tourist destinations like Lukla, Bharatpur and Meghauly. With an addition of the fleet, the airlines will be offering the largest number of seat capacity on domestic routes in the country, further states the release.

SAAB 340 B aircraft is a Swedish-made, regional commuter aircraft with a general

passenger cabin configuration of 33-36 seats. The aircraft has a pair of two general electric engines

CT7-9B and has a maximum cruising speed of 283 nautical miles per hour. The maximum take-off weight and maximum landing-weight of the aircrafts are — 29,000 pounds and 28,500 pounds respectively. The maximum operating altitude of the aircrafts is 25,000 feet.

Yeti Airlines, which began commercial flights in September 1998, would become the only domestic private airlines having a largest number of aircraft with the addition of two SAAB-340.