'Suntharali Airport in Kalikot has no regular flights due to low passenger numbers'

KATHMANDU: Regular flights have not been able to operate at Suntharali Airport in Kalikot because of low passenger numbers, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Paudel said.

Answering a question from National Assembly lawmaker Bishnu Bahadur Biswokarma during Wednesday’s session, Civil Aviation Minister Paudel said the airport could not sustain scheduled services owing to insufficient passenger demand.

Tara Air carried out the first test flight on February 11, 2017, and the airport was officially inaugurated on February 26, 2024. Minister Paudel said the government held talks with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Nepal Airlines, Tara Air, Sita Air, Summit Air and local representatives from Kalikot about launching regular services.

Tara Air had agreed to operate flights twice a week, but the service could not be launched since there was no guarantee of regular passengers. “Once there is assurance of regular passengers, flights will start,” Minister Paudel said.

The Civil Aviation Minister Paudel added that Nepal has 55 airports, of which 34 are operational, and many in hilly areas remain inactive due to low passenger numbers. He attributed the decline in air travellers to migration and the lower cost of road travel.

The next meeting of the National Assembly is scheduled for 1:15 pm on Thursday.

By RSS