BB Airways (BBW, Kathmandu) could face a protracted recertification procedure after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) recently requested the country's government to delay issuing BB Airways an Operator's Licence until expansion works at Bhairahawa Gautam Buddha Airport have been completed.
The Kathmandu Post reports the regulator has expressed concern about growing congestion, both in Nepal's skies as well as at its airports - Kathmandu in particular, given the increasing number of airlines seeking to operate regular flights.
Having acquired a B757-200 from Nepal Airlines (RA, Kathmandu) last year, BB Airways applied to the Nepali Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation to renew its OL which lapsed following the suspension of operations back in 2012. Once it has secured its OL, it must then secure a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) before pursuing its AOC.
As it stands, expansion works at Siddharthanagar Gautam Buddha Airport are only expected to be completed in 2019.
