Nepalese start-up carrier BB Airways has been awarded route licences by authorities in the Himalayan Kingdom to serve seven international markets, and it is now working towards launching the routes at the end of the third quarter of this year. The airline is one of a number of new ventures in Nepal that are aiming to develop a reliable domestic and international network to boost economic and tourist trade into the country.
At the current time national carrier Nepal Airlines is the sole provider of international flights from the country. It offers links from the capital Kathmandu to Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi having reduced its network over the past couple of years due to operational issues with its two Boeing 757-200s.
BB Airways has now been given approval to also serve Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi as well as the rights to fly to Doha, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo and it is now finalising the acquisition of three Boeing 767-300ERs and its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) application to begin flights in September. According to local reports, BB Airways is backed by TBI Group, a Japanese investment company led by Nepalese expatriates with interests in publishing and alcohol production.