Editorial»
RNAC flying all over world
DEC 23 - Whenever I pass by the RNAC building, see its aircraft at any airport in Nepal or abroad, or a piece of news or article in a newspaper or on television, I get haunted by a dream I had more than a decade ago.
Recently, while flying from Shanghai to Kathmandu, I told this to one of my RNAC pilot friends and some time earlier at Nagarkot to Damodar Gautam, who was then heading a team to study the RNAC affairs and finalising his report. Now I feel that there is no harm for it to go to the general public. And so here it is. The dream was about RNAC jet planes flying all over the world.
In September 1988, a RNAC aircraft after an overnight stopover at Hong Kong Airport, was ready to take off for Kathmandu at 8:00 in the morning. However, after a series of delay notices it finally took off after 15:00 in the afternoon. It was later privately revealed that the flight was late only because one of the influential Panchayat leaders and family members of another leader, who were supposed to be on board, did not arrive at the Airport on time. The reasons cited were that they woke up late and their shopping was not over as yet. When I asked the duty manager, “why couldn’t he let the aircraft take off without the said persons?” The answer was: “If I let the aircraft fly without them, my own job will fly away the next day.”
Anyway, the aircraft arrived in Kathmandu, however, the accompanied luggage of the passengers which were checked in by the RNAC counter in Hong Kong did not arrive. Every passenger was just puzzled by the absence of the luggage. When I pressed one of the previously acquainted RNAC ground staff in Kathmandu to speak out, he whispered to my ears saying that “the luggage of all the passengers was off-loaded in Hong Kong. The aircraft had overweight problem.” When I contested saying that the aircraft was not even full and there should not have been a problem of Dashain, then the answer was “the VVIPs had so much of stuff that the aircraft could not carry any luggage of the passengers.”
Persons waiting outside for the passengers reported of seeing a number of white plate-numbered trucks and jeeps driving directly to the aircraft and leaving without any custom check. The RNAC ground staff simply said: “We are sorry. Due to some unknown reasons, the luggage had to be off-loaded at Hong Kong Airport, which will be coming in the next RA flight in a couple of days.”
The passengers were simply left to manage themselves without their luggage for coming unspecified time. The tourists who were due to go to Tibet or trekking the next day were left to face the situation without the warm clothes as they were left at Hong Kong Airport. As any other Nepali passenger, I proceeded to my home leaving behind the gifts I had bought for the upcoming Dashain.
The question often asked by friends of Nepal abroad about RNAC was “while flying over international sky, can RNAC afford to do whatever it likes and still do international service business, just because it carries Nepali flag?” How would anybody feel about an airline company being faced with the above situation anywhere in the world?
People pay for the service not for the flag. There have been many stories like the above linking with RNAC, which have given enormous difficulties to the passengers, who swear not to fly with the Airlines in future. After having faced a series of cancelled flights of RNAC, I too had to decide not to take any RA flight while I travel on business as I could not afford to be late or sick. Such a hard decision was always poking my conscience as the business class tickets provide 2-3 times the money to the Airlines as compared to the cheap economy class tickets. Ever since, I always questioned to myself “If I as a Nepali do not fly with RNAC on business, who will then fly with it? Is there anything I can do for RNAC?”
I then started making all kinds of plans in my head. I looked around whenever I was abroad and inquired how the other Airlines have done their business. I knew Thai International in its early days had collaboration with SAS and so had RNAC with Air France and Lufthansa. I was quite aware of the frustrations of Lufthansa and Germans opting for Irish Airlines as a partner for providing technical support to RNAC rather than their own Lufthansa.
The above questions and the background information in my head took me to Ram Hari Joshi in 1991, who was then the Minister of Tourism in the elected government of Girija Prasad Koirala. Prior to going to him I had also consulted some of my friends abroad, who had previously provided support to RNAC’s development. They said RNAC’s problem was the management problem. If a sound idea comes for change for better performance at the management level, they would be glad to do whatever was possible to support from their end.
As a friend, Minister Joshi listened to me attentively about my plan. The plan was to convert the RNAC into a private company in which the HMG/N with the value of all the assets of RNAC will have one third of the total shares.
One-third of the shares were to be sold to an international or regional airlines, which was performing profitably so well that its service had been considered as the top class in the world, and that it has its routes all consumed but would have enough aircraft of its own to lend to the new company. RNAC had so many routes not used and more were to come as well. The remaining one third of the shares could be made open to the staff of RNAC and general Nepali public with a preference to travel related individuals or organisational entrepreneurs. Thus the capital could be increased instantly three times.
As the private company has to function profitably, the government could enjoy the profit by handing over the management to a new board representing the three sides. Consensus approach could be the mode of management decision, which could be institutionalised. Minister Joshi immediately offered me the post of RNAC Chairmanship, which I declined saying “let me first take one month to study the feasibility of such a plan. After I propose the plan and the government decides to implement it seriously, then only I would consider such an offer, otherwise not.” Then he suggested that we approach the Prime Minister together and so we went to his residence. I requested Minister Joshi to talk the matter with the Prime Minister first by himself alone. Only if he shows interest and calls me in, then only I would join. So I stayed behind at the TV room while he went to the Prime Minister bedroom.
After a while he came back with his head down and told me quoting the Prime Minister: He said not to do anything for the time being.” I did not care to know what happened with RNAC after that. The only thing I did was reading crisis after crisis of RNAC in Nepali newspapers. My dream of RNAC jet planes flying all over the world remained shattered ever since.Posted on: 2003-12-24 05:14
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