सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Surkhet. Tara Air has stopped its regular flights from Surkhet to Mugu, Humla and Jumla. Tara Air has stated that it had to stop the flights after losses were incurred in every flight.
The air service inaugurated by Karnali Province’s Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Suresh Adhikari on December 4, 2024, has now been closed. Himali Tour and Travels had been operating flights to three districts through Tara Air.
Travels has stated that it had to stop the flights because it did not receive support from the Karnali Province government and because losses were incurred in every flight. Min Bahadur Rawal of Travels said that although work has started as per the agreement to operate regular flights twice a week in three districts, the air service has been suspended due to lack of necessary support.
Meanwhile, private airline company Yeti completed a Surkhet-Kathmandu test flight on Saturday. Yeti Airlines has stated that a test flight was also completed in Dhangadhi on Saturday. Yeti Airlines spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula informed that Yeti’s 9N-AMN ATR 72 aircraft successfully conducted the test flight.
According to him, the test flight was conducted by the airline’s instructor pilot duo Samarthratna Tuladhar and Raju Rajbanshi. Representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and Yeti Airlines, including technicians, employees, and others, were present to observe the flight. Spokesperson Bartaula said that the test flights were conducted with the aim of operating regular flights to Surkhet and Dhangadhi airports in the coming days and using them as alternative airports.
He mentioned that preparations will be made to operate regular flights based on the report of the test flights. Yubaraj Kumar Bista, Chief Commercial Officer of Yeti Airlines, informed that the aim is to expand the market by increasing the range of flights considering the demand of passengers.
He believed that this would increase the confidence of passengers towards the airline along with regular flights. The airline has also stated that it has successfully completed a test flight at Rajbiraj Airport on February 20. Buddha and Shree Airlines have been flying to Surkhet, so now that this number has been added, it is expected that tickets will be cheaper.
Nepalgunj airport is used to travel to the mountainous districts of Karnali
After the closure of air services in Surkhet, it has become necessary to use the newly opened Nepalgunj airport to travel to the mountainous districts of Karnali. Tara, Summit and Goma Air have been flying from Banke to Humla, Jumla, Mugu and Dolpa.
The government-owned Nepal Airlines does not operate flights from Surkhet airport, and the airline does not even have an office in Karnali. Passengers say they are forced to use Nepalgunj airport in Lumbini province to travel from Surkhet to the mountainous districts here.
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