Suntharali Airport in Kalikot commences operations after 38 years; NAC operates Jumla-Surkhet flights after a decade

Kalikot / Feb 26: The Suntharali Airport in Kalikot commenced its operations after 38 years. Deputy Prime Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka inaugurated the airport by lighting a lamp on Monday.

On the day of the inauguration, planes from Nepal Airlines Corporation and Yeti Airlines landed at the airport today.

The construction of the airport started about 38 years ago. The actual works to build an airport in Suntharali of Kalikot started in 2042 BS. On the initiative of the local residents, the then District Development Committee of Kalikot had allocated an amount of Rs 100,000 and started the construction of the airport.

In the year and a half since the completion of construction, the inauguration date was scheduled three times. After exceeding the opening target three times, the opening was held for the fourth time.

NAC operates Jumla-Surkhet flights after a decade

Meanwhile, a twin-otter aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has started the Jumla-Surkhet flight for the first time after 10 years.

The plane landed at Jumla airport at 7:50 AM from Nepalgunj on Monday morning and took flight to Surkhet with two passengers.

Manager Devi Prasad Neupane said that after 10 years, the national flag-carrier flew to Surkhet from Jumla. He said, “The flight has started. I don’t know how long it will last.”

The flight schedule of the NAC flight from Jumla to Surkhet took a team of ministers to Sunthrali Airport in Kalikot and returned to Surkhet. Manager Neupane said that a flight will be flown from Surkhet to Nepalgunj via Jumla.

He also said that the passengers were not found as the plane arrived early in the morning. The airfare for the Jumla-Surkhet route is fixed at Rs 5,000. Santosh Adhikari, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Jumla office, said that the first flight of NAC aircraft took off from Jumla to Surkhet.

The regular flight schedule of the NAC has not arrived. Only next Monday’s flight will determine whether to make it regular, he said, adding that the schedule of regular flights can come only from next Monday.

The future of regular flights on this route will be determined by the upcoming Monday’s flight schedule, with expectations for a regular flight schedule to be announced then.

The lack of direct air service between Jumla and Surkhet has previously forced travelers to reach Surkhet, the capital of Karnali Province, via Lumbini Province. Nepal Airlines Corporation, along with Sita, Summit, and Tara Air, operates flights to and from Jumla. The government has tasked the NAC with formulating a work plan for Jumla-Surkhet flights, following the commencement of Humla-Surkhet flights by the airline.