Due to heavy snowfall, the flights operation have been closed at Lukla and Phaplu airport in Solukhumbu.
Both airports were unable to conduct flights due to rainfall and snowfall from Tuesday night.
More than 100 tourists have been stuck in Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal after flights have been affected at Lukla and Phaplu due to bad weather.
Sitaram Bhandari, chief of Tower Control Room at the airport office stated that both airports remained out of contact with airlines due to snowfall. He said that the flight operations are smooth in Biratnagar, Bhadrapur, Bhairahawa, Chitwan, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Simara airport.
However, there have been general impact in those airports due to adverse weather.
Likewise, the flight operation has been disrupted following heavy snowfall in Jumla on Monday night. Thousands of passengers have been abducted after the snowfall resulted halt in flight operations. This is the third snowfall in Jumla. It has become even more difficult for local residents after the snowfall affect the lives in Jumla.
The government office has also been closed down. Schools have remained closed, with movement obstructed due to the snowfall. There is a maximum of 2 feet snowfall in highlands whereas half feet snowfall in headquarter of the district.
Jumla Airport (IATA: JUM, ICAO: VNJL) is an airport serving Jumla District, one of the remote areas of Nepal in Province No. 6. At present, Tara Air conducts one weekly flight to Jumla Airport from Nepalgunj every Wednesday and Nepal Airlines Corporation also operates a weekly flight on Monday from Nepalgunj. Besides, Sita Air and Summit Air operate charter flights occasionally. Nepal’s Himalayas and high hills have experienced snowfall.
The snowfall of Monday night has also affected the the flight operation at Humla. The only transportation of the remote area, air services has been closed down in the region. Regular flights to Nepalgunj and Surkhet from Humla could not take place after the snowfall.
Normal lives in upper belt of the district have been affected due to snowfall and has also affected them as they are unable to migrate to lower warmer region. Thick Snow has clotted at the airport.
Due to disruption of flight operation, local people and sick patients are being in problem. Due to snowfall leading the flight disruptions, scarcity of daily consumable goods has already been observed.
Bhandari informed that air traffic arc has increased in Tribhuvan International Airport also due to the weather.
