KATHMANDU: The national flag carrier is seeking to lease an aircraft in January for six weeks, as one of its Boeing planes will go for a regular C check to Israel.

Executive Chairman of the Nepal Airlines Corporation Sugat Ratna Kansakar told THT that an aircraft will be leased to maintain the scheduled flights and reliability of the carrier.

The aircraft is required to operate daily flights on the Kathmandu-New Delhi-Kathmandu sector and Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha-Kathmandu sector four times a week. "We do not want to disturb the schedule during the tourist season," he added.

However, NAC Managing Director Captain KB Limbu thinks that it is not economically viable to lease an aircraft for short term. He opines that NAC can fly its passengers on another low-cost airlines for six weeks.

Kansakar said NAC might do a rethink on the leasing idea if it turned out to be economically unviable.

NAC has sought an aircraft not older than 15 years from the date of manufacture on Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (wet lease) -- ACMI -- basis for six weeks beginning January 3 with 375 guaranteed block hours during six weeks.

The interested parties should send their offers with detailed specification, manufacturing date, configuration, present registration number, valid insurance, present owner, present operator of the aircraft and ACMI rate per block hour by November 12, said NAC.

The aircraft should have a capacity of 150 to 200 seats. Delivery and re-delivery of aircraft will be done in Doha.

"We'll decide whether to lease or not on the basis of ACMI rate per block hour," Kansakar said.