Tonga's Lulutai Airlines grounds its sole Saab 340

Nepali MA60s, Y12s to be sold if leasing bid fails

A Nepal Airlines (RA, Kathmandu) spokesperson has said selling five unwanted turboprops is the next best option if a bidding process to lease the planes out fails. Archana Khadka told The Kathmandu Post that per the Nepali Ministry of Finance's instructions, the state-owned airline is now trying to dry lease the planes out but "if there are no takers - we'll go for the second option."

As reported by ch-aviation earlier this week, Nepal Airlines has initiated a bidding process to lease out two MA-60s and three Y12s after sitting parked in a corner of Kathmandu Airport for over two years.

"We followed the Finance Ministry's instructions,” said Khadka. "Out of the two options recommended by the Finance Ministry dry lease or outright sale, Nepal Airlines will try the first one," However, given the state of the planes, some local airline insiders doubt the lease bidding process will attract much interest.

Saying it was the right decision to try to offload the aircraft, Ashok Pokhrel, a former board member of...

Tonga looks to outsource Lulutai Airlines

Air Vanuatu eyes Tonga 7th-freedom rights

Ni-Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman Weibur has asked the Tongan government to grant seventh-freedom rights to Air Vanuatu (NF, Port Vila) which would allow it to increase connectivity to/from Tonga by basing an aircraft there, the online Kaniva Tonga news site has reported.

"Such an arrangement would serve as a firm foundation for the creation of an equitable and collective multi-national air transport system for our countries and those of our fellow nations in Oceania," Weibur said.

Tonga - a country of just over 100,000 residents - has one active airline, Lulutai Airlines (L8, Tongatapu), which operates one Saab 340B(Plus) and one Y12. As the archipelago country remains in relatively strict COVID-related lockdown, the airline operates domestic services from Tongatapu to Eua, Ha'apai, and Vava'u on a scheduled basis but with reduced frequencies. It also serves Niuafo'ou through charter flights. The Tongan government is reportedly considering selling the state-owned airline to dormant Fly Niu Airlines, which is owned by 'Atu Finau, the Chief Executive of...

Nauru Airlines eyes more regional partnerships