For the first time, a helicopter has been imported into Nepal via road through the Tatopani Customs point on the Nepal–China border.
The latest addition to Mountain Helicopters’ fleet arrived on Wednesday, July 2, transported on a 40-foot trailer.
Ram Chandra Bhusal, spokesperson for Mountain Helicopters, told New Business Age that customs clearance is expected to be completed by Friday.
The helicopter—an Airbus AS350 B3e, manufactured in France and previously operated in China—was purchased from Shanxi Houtufang Technology Company Pvt. Ltd., based in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province.
Surya Prasad Kaphle, Information Officer at the Tatopani Customs Office, said the 1.3-tonne aircraft is currently stationed at the customs yard.
Dil Bahadur Woli, General Manager of Mountain Helicopters, noted that the company had previously imported helicopters by road from Kolkata port in India via Birgunj Customs.
“It is a normal affair,” Woli said. “Transporting them by air entails greater challenges related to time, cost, and regulatory approvals.”
Woli added that after customs clearance, the company will assemble the chopper and seek permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to fly it to Kathmandu.
With this latest import, Mountain Helicopters’ fleet now comprises three aircraft. Bhusal also mentioned that the company expects to add another helicopter within six months.
This report has been updated to clarify that it was not the first instance of a helicopter being imported to Nepal via road.
