Recommendation to increase in Airfares by 43 percent, to be applied from July.
Kathmandu, July 03, 2016
Air fares for domestic flight are expected to increase from 19 to 43 percent of the fares. In order to get approval for the recommendation made by civil aviation authority of Nepal, a study committee has been formed under Culture, Tourism and Civil aviation ministry joint secretary Suresh Acharya to review the coordination of the fares. The fare will only increase after the opinion of committee.
The committee includes Deputy of civil aviation Rajan Raj Pokhrel, General Manager of Nepal Airlines Corporation Sugat Kansakar and one member from Nepal Oil Corporation and consumer’s right forum, according to the information given by authority. Earlier, Deputy of civil aviation authority Pokhrel formed (satsadasiya) committee to implement the recommendations of review committee on air fares which once needed for further discussion. The committee referred to the authority steering to form a committee again.
The authority’s decision to increase the air fares is basis on the recommendation made by committee. The decision of authority will only be implemented after the approval given by Culture, Tourism, and Civil aviation ministry. On the basis of domestic airline, destination close to Kathmandu has increase in fares by 19 percent where as destination far from Kathmandu has increase in fair by 43 percent which is according to the report prepared by authority.
A destination nearby Kathmandu airport, Simara and Bharatpur has 19 percent increases in fare. Similarly, route far from Kathmandu airport likely to be Dhangadi and Nepalgunj has 43 percent increases in fare. Over past six years authority has not made increment in fares. An organization of domestic airline operators association also claimed in lacking the market value since from 2067 BS so the fare has to be increased.
In the current situation the air fares must be increased, saying the Review Committee has recommended. The current air fares for the Regular flights from Kathmandu to near destinations like Simara is fifteen hundred and remote destination Dhangadhi airport rental is Rs Six thousand seven hundred.
AAON told the air fare that was not amended should also take consideration to the foreign exchange rate as per Nepal Rastra Bank.
The rent is linked to the price of fuel separately. All the fare including tickets maize, fuel charges, airport fare are paid by the passengers in the same Air fare. According Authority, the passengers will pay the increased air passenger fares from the new fiscal year.
