Shree Airlines (N9, Kathmandu) is set to expand its base network and Bombardier Aerospace (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) fleet with the upcoming addition of three Dash 8-400s. According to the Kathmandu Post, the Nepali Civil Aviation Ministry gave its final approval to the move on Sunday, August 12.
Shree Airlines currently operates two CRJ200s and two CRJ700s on scheduled passenger flights to the Nepali towns of Kathmandu, Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Dhangarhi, Nepalgunj, Rajbiraj, and Bhairahawa. With the incoming turboprops, it plans to open up a base at Pokhara International and use the Q400s to serve Simara, Janakpur, Bharatpur, Kathmandu, and Tumling Tar.
“We will not be operating the aircraft from Kathmandu as a base due to severe traffic congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport. We have planned to fly Q400 turboprops making Pokhara as the base,” the corporate manager of Shree Airlines, Anil Manandhar, told the paper.
While no formal delivery date has been publically announced, company sources have said they expect the trio to arrive in October. Following their delivery, the turboprops will have to be type-certified and added to Shree's operations specifications, a process that could take several months.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Nepal's regional turboprop needs are served by ATR - Avions de Transport Régional (three ATR42-300s and six ATR72-500s in service with Buddha Air) while Nepal Airlines operates three DHC-6-300s, two MA-60s and four Y12Es, and Simrik Airlines operates two Do228s. Tara Air operates two Twin Otter-300s, two -400s, and two Do228s for Yeti Airlines which also operates two in-house ATR72-500s and six Jetstream 41s.
