Summary

  • The Boeing 757-200M was a unique ‘Combi’ plane with a split deck for passengers and cargo.
  • Nepal Airlines flew the only 757-200M, serving for over 30 years with a maximum of 190 seats.
  • Despite attempts to sell the aging aircraft, Nepal Airlines struggled to find a buyer due to its niche variant.

The narrowbody 757 family was a hit for Boeing, with the advent of ETOPS opening the design up to a wider range of operators and resulting in use on longer routes. The planemaker produced more than 1,000, of which the majority belonged to the -200 series. However, did you know that this variant had a rather less popular sub-variant? Known as the 757-200M, Nepal Airlines flew the only example.

What was the Boeing 757-200M?

As is customary for aircraft in Boeing’s diverse portfolio of commercial aircraft, the ‘M’ suffix denotes the fact that the 757-200M was a ‘Combi’ plane. This means that its main deck was split between passengers and cargo. In contrast, most other Boeing 757s loaded their main deck with one or the other. As seen below, there was a side cargo door (with the grey underline) towards the front of the left side.

Nepal Airlines Boeing 757 Departing Kuala Lumpur

Photo: Jeang Herng | Shutterstock

The area surrounding this side cargo door is where the unique aircraft’s additional space for airfreight was located. It is important to note that Nepal Airlines’ 757-200M was unique in the sense that it was the only 757 specifically ordered as a Combi. That being said, as the veteran twinjet has aged, there have been a few projects that have seen older examples converted to have a similar configuration.

The aircraft spent its entire career at Nepal Airlines

According to historical fleet data made available by ch-aviation, Nepal Airlines’ Boeing 757-200M arrived at the Nepalese flag carrier back in September of 1988. It had taken its first flight two months previously, with Nepal Airlines placing the order for it in February 1986. The aircraft bore the registration 9N-ACB, and it ended up serving Nepal Airlines for over 30 years, retaining this registration throughout.

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Data from ch-aviation shows that, alongside its additional cargo capacity, this unique aircraft had a maximum passenger capacity of 190 seats. This consisted of 174 in economy class laid out in the industry-standard six-abreast (3-3) layout, as well as a 16-seat business class cabin. Much like domestic first class products at carriers in North America, the seats in this section were four-abreast recliners.

Towards the end of its lengthy operational career at Nepal Airlines, ATDB.aero notes that the aircraft picked up landing gear damage in Doha, Qatar, with this particular incident having occurred back in May of 2017. Following this, the aircraft spent an extended storage period at Singapore’s Seletar Airport (XSP). This lasted until January 2019, after which the aging plane returned home to Kathmandu, Nepal.

Unsuccessful sales attempts

However, by this point, the unique narrowbody airliner was over 30 years old, and Nepal Airlines was ready to sell up, with the landing gear damage in Doha proving to be the last straw for the jet. Even so, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 would likely have cut its career short. However, with the 757-200M being just about Boeing’s most niche commercial variant, it proved hard to find a buyer.

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Indeed, as Simple Flying reported in November 2019, Nepal Airlines even tried reducing its asking price for the aircraft to just $4.25 million ($5.65 million in today’s money) to get the plane off its books. However, unfortunately for Nepal Airlines, even its lower offer was unable to attract any interest from potential buyers.

This meant that it could do little else but withdraw the 31-year-old aircraft with minimal fanfare. According to Aviation Nepal, local enthusiasts were disappointed to learn that the carrier wasn’t doing anything to commemorate the type’s retirement. Nepal Airlines subsequently issued a tender notice last year to auction it with a reserve of $5.71 million, but the jet remains in storage for now.

Now clocking in at 36 years old, the aircraft remains in storage in Kathmandu, with a potential reprieve seemingly unlikely. Interestingly, its retirement marked something of a watershed moment for Nepal Airlines. Indeed, it represented the departure of the carrier’s final Boeing aircraft, as it now only flies Airbus and de Havilland designs from the popular A330 and DHC-6 ‘Twin Otter’ families respectively.

Where did Nepal Airlines fly the Boeing 757-200M?

According to historical scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, one of Nepal Airlines’ top destinations for the Boeing 757-200M was Delhi in India. Indeed, in 2018, the carrier operated more than 20 flights a month between Kathmandu and Indira Gandhi International Airport at certain times of year, peaking at 23 rotations in May. Other locations it frequently served were:

  • Bangalore / Bengaluru, India.
  • Doha, Qatar.
  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Did you know that Nepal Airlines used to fly the Boeing 757-200M? Perhaps you’ve even traveled on this rare ‘Combi’ aircraft? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

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