By A Reporter
With aviation fuel prices rising, both domestic and international airlines are facing mounting pressure not only during regular flights but especially from fuel burned while aircraft are placed in “holding” patterns. Due to air traffic congestion in Kathmandu, most flights are forced to remain in holding for 20 minutes to half an hour before landing.
According to Devendra Pun, spokesperson for Nepal Airlines Corporation, the airline’s Airbus A320-200 aircraft use IAE V2500 engines. When holding at altitudes between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, these engines consume an average of 1,200 to 1,500 kilograms of fuel per hour. At a cost of $1.78 per kilogram, and with the current exchange rate of Rs 149.70 per US dollar, this amounts to approximately Rs 267 per kilogram of fuel.
For international flights, a 30-minute holding period burns around 750 kilograms of fuel, adding an extra cost of roughly Rs 200,000 each time.
Compared to narrow-body aircraft, wide-body jets consume significantly more fuel. Nepal Airlines’ Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft, equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent engines, typically hold at altitudes between 10,000 and 16,000 feet. Assuming an average holding altitude of 12,000 feet, these aircraft burn a substantial amount of fuel—around 6,000 kilograms per hour. This means that just 30 minutes of holding can incur an additional fuel cost of nearly Rs 800,000, according to Pun.
Similarly, ATR-72 aircraft commonly used in domestic aviation consume about 8 liters of fuel per minute, both in the air and on the ground. Based on fuel prices as of Baisakh 3, each minute of holding costs around Rs 2,096. With average holding times ranging from 20 to 30 minutes per flight, airlines report incurring additional expenses between Rs 41,920 and Rs 62,880 per flight.
Aircraft operated by Shree Airlines consume about 1.4 times more fuel than ATR aircraft. Compared to the 72-seat ATR planes used by Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines’ 78-seat Dash 8 aircraft have higher fuel consumption.
A permanent solution to the aircraft holding crisis is the construction of a new international airport equipped with multiple runways in Nijgadh as soon as possible.
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