KATHMANDU - Nepal's first ever China-made air carrier, a 58-seater Modern Ark 60 (MA60), started commercial operation on Wednesday, Napal's officials said.

The MA60 was handed over to the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) by the government in April.

"The plane made its first successful commercial operation from Kathmandu's airport to Biratnagar," Ram Hari Sharma, spokesperson for NAC told Xinhua via phone.

NAC officials said the plane was operated by two Chinese pilots from China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation, producer of the aircraft.

Regional jet service set to start in 2015	Big piece of first Chinese jetliner completed