The Nepali government is planning to restructure the ailing state-owned airline, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), under the concept of public-private partnership, Minister for Culture, Civil Aviation and Tourism, Pradeep Gyawali said.

"Rather than completely privatizing it, restructuring the NAC will be a better option to re-establish its lost status," Gyawali told reporters here on Sunday.

He said the government is doing homework on acquiring new aircraft.

Noting that the NAC has become heavily dependent on the government, he said the corporation needs to be financially self- reliant, and become a profitable and competitive enterprise.

He also urged the NAC management to prepare an action plan on the basis of various recommendations put forward by different committees that were formed to recommend ways to improve the corporation.

Source: Xinhua