Flights at Suketar Airport, which used to operate only once a week, on Fridays, will now also operate on Mondays.
Nepal Airlines has resumed Kathmandu-Taplejung flights after repairing a grounded Twin Otter aircraft.
The Suketar Airport here, which used to operate only once a week on Fridays, will now operate on Mondays as well. Locals have requested for flights three to five days a week.
Only 13 passengers can travel from Kathmandu to Taplejung at a time, while up to 15 can go from Taplejung.
Shila Ijam, who is also the chairperson of the Pathibhara Campus Operations Committee, says that additional flights are needed as senior citizens, the disabled, children, and the sick travel a lot. She said that if the fares are adjusted, it will be a relief for the residents of remote areas. People who find it difficult to travel by car have to wait for weeks for Nepal Airlines flights.
Currently, the Taplejung-Kathmandu fare is Rs 9,267, while Kathmandu-Taplejung is Rs 9,467. The flight time between Taplejung and Kathmandu is 55 minutes.
Narayan Kumar Karki, the airline's Taplejung station in-charge, says that discussions are underway on Wednesday to increase the number of flights as per the demand of the locals. He informed that there will be no decrease in the number of passengers in the current situation.
Employees say that while the corporation has two Twin Otter aircraft, one is flying to the east and the other to the west in Nepal. After repairing the damaged aircraft, the airline has resumed domestic commercial flights using both its Twin Otters.
