Domestic flight will be reduced by 75 percent due to second phase State and representative elections on Thursday 7th December 2017. Currently there are 300 daily domestic flights from Kathmandu. The airline operator informed that on the day of election their will around 75 flights Flying out and returning to the capital.
According to Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) Spokesperson Mr. Ghanshyam Acharya said, “It is not a compulsory government rule to stop the flight on the Election Day. Helicopter flights continue to provide service for rescue and in election matters but charters flights however; there will be no helicopter charter flights tomorrow.”
Buddha Air Marketing director stated, “Normally we have 45 flights a day but on Thursday their will only be 6 flights to Pokhara and Chitwan. Flight to mountainous region has not yet been determined.”
Yeti airlines which owns 8 planes including 6 Jetstream have also cut about 90 percent of the flight out of 30 daily flights. According to Yeti’s Deputy Marketing Manager Rajendra Sharma, the flights are targeted only for tourists. “There will be only three and two Mountain Flight for Pokhara from Kathmandu,” said Sharma.
Likewise, Tara Air which has a single flight from Pokhara to Jomsom and two flights from Kathmandu to Lukla out of around 20 daily flights.
Similarly, Anil Manandhar, the manager of Shree Airlines, who has been flying Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi through three CRJ aircraft, said that the aircraft has cut off the flight on Election Day.
Saurya Airlines which has 16 flights daily on Route in Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi through two CRJ aircraft has also cut off the flight.
National flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation has also decided not to conduct internal flights. According to commercial director Janakraj Kalakheti, the corporation has closed internal flights due to security and employee operations management, but has kept the international flight as it is. Six planes of the corporation have 10 flights daily in internal routes.
Similarly, Sita Airwill fly only to Lukla. Likewise, Summit Airlines will also commence flight as tourists already booked tickets. “We have closed all the flights from Nepalgunj to the mountainous routes of the Middle West, but there will be four flights in Lukla,” reported Summit Air’s official.
Even if 75 percent of the flight will be deducted in the internal route, the flight of international routes will be flying as on normal days. According to organization of foreign airlines in Nepal, Board of Airlines Representative in Nepal (BARN), no foreign airlines have deducted the flight due to the election. 26 foreign airlines connecting Nepal to the rest of the world are flying daily from 30 to 45 daily.
On that day, in coordination with tourism boards TIA will operate three shuttle buses to the airport from 6 am to 6 pm in the morning. To know about the bus route one can contact Tourist Police on their toll free number. The bus fare will be Rs. 300 and the route is connected to every Star Hotel and Thamel area inside the capital.
