Buddha Air bids farewell to ATR 42 Aircraft with ‘Water Salute’

KATHMANDU: Buddha Air bids farewell to its ATR 42 (9N-AIN) aircraft.

Buddha Air on Tuesday bid farewell to its ATR 42 (9N-AIN) aircraft at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

The farewell ceremony featured a ‘water salute’ from Buddha Air employees at the airport.

According to Buddha Air, this aircraft began its commercial flights with a mountain flight on September 17, 2008. It completed its final mountain flight before being retired from service. After 16 years of service, the aircraft has been grounded and stored in the hangar. The ATR 42-320, with tail number 9N-AIN, was retired after completing 70,000 flight cycles.

In Nepal alone, the aircraft completed 40,000 flight cycles. The 47-seater aircraft first flew on December 28, 1997. Buddha Air’s Technical Director, Mangesh Thapa, explained that the ATR 42 (9N-AIN) was brought to Nepal in September 2008, after being in service for 13 years elsewhere, having been manufactured in 1995. Despite its prior usage, it served in Nepal for 16 years.

Thapa also mentioned that Nepal had no prior experience with ATR aircraft maintenance, but this aircraft provided valuable learning. He explained that aircraft retire in two ways: either after completing their designated flight cycles or when operators find it financially unfeasible to maintain them.

Buddha Air announced that the aircraft completed 40,000 takeoffs and landings in Nepali skies, serving 1.8 million passengers. One takeoff and landing equals one flight cycle. The ATR 42 (9N-AIN) is the first aircraft of its type produced by the manufacturer to retire after completing the full 70,000 flight cycles.