KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 20

The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality has made a negative PCR report compulsory for people travelling to the Lukla airport.

Airline operators will be resuming domestic flights from Monday and issuing a notice today, the rural municipality has made it mandatory for passengers travelling to the Lukla airport to have a negative PCR report. Considering the health safety protocols, the rural municipality has also sent a letter to all the airline companies requesting them to carry only those passengers who can furnish a negative PCR report.

The Lukla airport is one of the busiest domestic airports and as soon as flights resume there are high chances that the airport will be crowded. Moreover, the autumn season has begun and the government has already allowed trekking and mountaineering activities.

The Department of Tourism and Nepal Mountaineering Association have also started issuing expedition permits.

Even though the government has restricted flights for tourists at present, stakeholders are expecting a large number of domestic travellers.

Moreover, people are also waiting for flights to resume along with the fast-approaching festive season.

Thus, to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading through the possible crowd at the airport, the rural municipality has issued such a notice.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, domestic flights are reopening after almost six months. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and airline operators along with other stakeholders have also started preparations for flights to resume operations.

The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality is the first municipality to issue such a notice and the rule will be implemented until further notice.

Meanwhile, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has published its schedule for domestic flights.

According to NAC, flights from Kathmandu to Rukum and from Rukum to Nepalgunj will be operated twice a week on Sundays and Thursdays. Similarly, flights from Nepalgunj to Jumla will be operated once a week on Sundays.

Likewise, flights from Kathmandu to Bhojpur will be operated thrice a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays while flights from Kathmandu to Dang will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Similarly, flights from Kathmandu to Phaplu will be operated on Sundays and Tuesdays, while flights from Kathmandu to Thamkharka will be operated on Wednesdays only.

Likewise, flights from Nepalgunj to Bajura will be operated on Thursdays only while flights from Kathmandu to Taplejung and Khanidada will be operated on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 21, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.