Kathmandu, January 11

Keeping in view the difficulties being faced by the international airlines in refuelling facility at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the Indian Oil Corporation has written to Nepal Oil Corporation to receive aviation turbine fuel from Raxaul depot.

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IOC had stopped providing ATF to Nepali tankers after the start of the ongoing border-blockade by agitating Madhes-based political parties in the fourth week of September.

As its stock of ATF started dwindling due to disruptions in supply lines from India, NOC barred international airlines from refuelling at the TIA on September 29.

All the 34 international airlines that are operating flights to Kathmandu have been managing technical landing at the nearest airport to Nepal for refuelling.

Even domestic airlines in Nepal are compelled to pay Rs 233 per litre of ATF, which is almost twice the price they pay during normal times (Rs 118 per litre).

The cost of ATF climbed almost two-fold because NOC has been extending refuelling facility to domestic airlines by airlifting fuel. Aircraft of Nepal Airlines are being used to airlift fuel from Kolkata.

Consequently domestic airlines also hiked their fares based on the fuel surcharge in November.

Earlier, IOC’s Raxaul depot used to provide around 400 kl ATF each day, which was sufficient to meet the demand at TIA, and international airlines also used to receive refuelling facility.

According to NOC spokesperson Mukunda Ghimire, NOC will send tankers to Raxaul from tomorrow via Sunauli to bring ATF from Raxaul because the border-crossing in Birgunj, the nearest check point from Raxaul, has been blocked by the agitating parties.