Nepali king's Africa trip lands NAC over 420,000 USD short

Nepali King Gyanendra's trip of Africa, eight months ago, lands state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) 30 million Nepali rupees (42,8571.44 U.S. dollars) short, local media reported here Wednesday.

"Eight months after the king's famous three-week African safari, the ailing NAC is still struggling to get full payment for the chartered flight," Kantipur FM, a private local radio station reported.

"Of the dues totaling 75.5 million Nepali rupees (1.08 million U.S. dollars), the NAC is yet to receive 30 million Nepali rupees (428,571.44 U.S. dollars) from the Nepali government as detention fare for the Boeing 757 used for the royal trip," the radio quoted the NAC sources as saying.

However, the NAC received the chartered fee worth 45 million Nepali rupees (642,857.14 U.S. dollars) some months back.

Apart from chartered fares, the then government had agreed to pay detention fee of 18,000 U.S. dollars per day, as the NAC was not able to use the aircraft for commercial flights even when the king was not using it himself.

NAC was forced to cancel around 30 percent of its international flights after the king took one of its two Boeings for 21 days for his Africa visit. In addition, around 20 percent flights were delayed. "Commercially profitable flights mainly to Indian destinations and Bangkok were cancelled due to aircraft shortage," the sources noted

The Boeing 757 9N-ACB was chartered to fly the king to several African countries, including Tunisia, Burundi, Nigeria and Egypt, starting from November 13. "The aircraft flew a total of 48 hours, " the sources added.

Source: Xinhua