Chaurjahari Airport has been now closed for more than 15 months depriving locals of air service. The closure of the airport due to lack of aircraft as stated by airlines has deprived locals of Jajarkot, Salyan, and Rukum.
The province government stated that they are coordinating with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to operate the flight and CAAN has also already enforced flight schedule, however, airline companies are not concerned.
The provincial government officials stated that they are talking with CAAN officials to operate a minimum of 1 flight a week at the airport. The airport was blacktopped some time back at the cost of more than 40 million.
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.
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.
Rukum district features another airport named as Salley where NAC operates 2 flights a week. The corporation reduced its flight frequency from 4 flights a week to 2 flights at Rukum’s Salle Airport.
