13 months long abeyance of the airport at Chaurjahari has deprived the locals from air service. Flights have been halted at Rukum, Chaurjahari airport stating lack of the aircraft.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has already enforced flight schedule however, unavailability of sufficient aircraft has plagued the flight operation at Rukum. Civilians of Jajarkot district were also benefited from the services of this airport though it’s quite far away.
The dormant airport lacking operation since June, 2017 has agonized the locals of this region. The Chaurjahari Airport at Rukum district was black topped at the cost of Nrs4.5 crores. Flight curtailment has inconvenienced the local passengers and sick patients of Dolpa, Jajarkot, Salyan and Eastern Rukum.
The stoppage of the flight service from the airport has compelled seriously ill patients and complicated pregnant women to travel through risky rough road on vehicles, said Administrator of the Chaurjahari Hospital, Dil Bahadur Giri.
Air service has been supporting on instantly carrying complicated patients of the remote areas lacking adequate health facilities to the well-equipped hospitals. After the shutdown of air service, disable and sick people has been suffered a lot. He further appealed the government to bring the airport into operation as soon as possible.
Earlier, Nepal Airline Corporation (NAC) conducting flights from Chaurjahari to Nepalgunj and Kathmandu had switched it service operating Kathmandu-Nepalgunj- Chaurjahari flights every Wednesday and Nepalgunj-Chaurjahari-Kathmandu flights every Thursday. Air service at Chaurjahari airport was stopped adding flights on the next Salle airport of Rukum. Chaurjahari Municipality Chief, Bishal Sharma said locals of this region have been impaired after the termination of the NAC’s services.
He said though various initiations have been taken to start air service at Chaurjahari airport but no any concern authority has taken into keen consideration. Sharma added it has also affected the tourists traveling to Shey-Phoksundo lake of Dolpa district.
NAC’s Chaurjahari Incharge Surendra Nepali affirmed they have not deducted flight schedule though air service has been halted since long time because of lack of aircraft. Corporation is on the process to buy new aircraft and soon after its delivery flight services will begin at Chaujahari Airport, he added. He also said that three staffs have been deprived of their work responsibility since a year.
