Five bidders are contesting to supply two jet aircrafts to the state owned Nepal Airlines Corporation NAC. The deadline for bidding ended Thursday.
Though the NAC had call bids from manufacturers only, other companies have also filed their bids. The bidders include Airbus, Boeing, Ilyushin Finance Corporation of Russia, Commercial Aircraft Sales Leasing and Consulting Company of the US and Kathmandu-based Aero Express Aviation.
The bids will be opened today for evaluation by 14-member committee led by Deputy Managing Director of NAC Ganesh Thakur. NAC is likely to finalise the purchase within the next two weeks.
NAC plans to buy two narrow body aircraft or one each narrow body (150 seats) and wide body (240-310 seats) aircraft. Smaller one costs around US$ 60 million while bigger one costs between US$ 125 and 150 million.
For the purchase, the NAC has already received commitments for Rs. 10 billion (about US $ 133 million) loan from Employees Provident Fund. Government has stood guarantee for the loan.