Kotawada Airport in Kalikot whose construction began back during the Panchayat Governmental tenure, yet today has no any commercial flight operation.
Locals who had smile on their face when a commercial aircraft made test flight have been disappointed ever since as the flights have not been conducted since.
26 months have passed and yet commercial flight has not been able to start.
The airport in rural Kalikot has always remained the hope for the safest and comfort mode of travel for the locals in the Kalikot region.
Tara air Twin Otter ‘9N-ABM’ successfully conducted its test flight on 11th February 2017 and regular flight from the airport was announced however no flights have been operated thereafter.
Kotwada area has not been connected by roadways so airways is the only the option for locals as means of transport. The village is the most populated village in the district still, road infrastructure has not been established.
The district headquarters from the area requires 5 hours of walk and the lack in flight operation has been a direct problem for ill patients and other emergency cases. Locals have expressed their disappointment stating the problem to walk even though there is provision of airport.
Previously 36 workers lost their lives in the airport province around 17 years back during the Maoist and governmental civil war and they were buried nearby the airport.
The airport project was hit by back to back circumstances delaying the completion of the targeted airport project but was finally accomplished after 30 years.
Former Tourism & Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Jiwan Bahadur Shahi had initiated the contractors to pace up the construction last year to accomplish the project on time. It was in Mr. Shahi’s minister tenure when the airport succeeded to commence the test flight of the airport but no any aircraft has landed back in the airport since then.
Though airports in other rural sections of Humla, Jumla have already been operating commercial flight Kotawada Airport has yet remained untouched by any aircraft.
The uncertainty of flight operation at the airport has been troubling and worrying the locals of the region for safe transportation.
The airport project was accomplished with 16 crores of the budget but has no any flight operation since the test flight.
Kotwada Airport is located in Nararinath village and has been constructed to facilitate 5 VDCs of the district.
