KATHMANDU, JUNE 28

For the first time in Nepal's aviation history, domestic airlines conducted their first flight for the day from six airports outside the valley today.

According to Purna Chudal, head of the domestic terminal at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), 11 aircraft had flown to the six designated base airports for overnight rest on Monday.

As per him, Buddha Airlines parked five of its aircraft in four bases - two in Bhairahawa and one each in Janakpur, Pokhara, and Nepalgunj. Likewise, Shree Airlines shifted three of its aircraft to the three designated base airports of Biratnagar, Bhairawa, and Nepalgunj; Yeti Airlines shifted two of its aircraft to Nepalgunj and Pokhara; and Guna Airlines to Pokhara for overnight rest.

According to Chudal, the decision to shift the aeroplanes to the designated base airports outside the valley facilitated smooth operation of domestic flights at the TIA today.

'The decision taken by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) really helped to manage the parking congestion at the TIA,' he told The Himalayan Times, adding the move will also benefit air travellers from outside the valley.

Prior to this, domestic arrivals to Kathmandu could only be scheduled after 10:00am as all aircraft of domestic airlines used to be parked at the TIA.

'But with the overnight parking outside the valley, passengers can now get to the capital early in the morning, 'he informed.

According to CAAN, with 52 domestic aircraft parked overnight at the TIA earlier, the parking area had been stretched far beyond its capacity of just 17 aeroplanes. It had resulted in persistent problems such as delays and hold up in domestic flights.

In order to manage parking congestion, CAAN had instructed all airline operators to make their last flight to the designated base airport for overnight rest and conduct their first flight the next day from the same airport starting on June 27. However, protesting the CAAN's decision, the airline operators had threatened to ground all aircraft and halt all services. But domestic airlines later agreed not to disrupt services after the government threatened to revoke their licences.

The rule is also applicable to the helicopter companies, which was supposed to be effective as of June 21.

'As there are some issues, helicopter companies are still conducting their first flight for the day from here,' said Chudal. 'A committee has been formed under the leadership of the General Manager of TIA, Prem Nath Thakur, to study the problems faced by helicopters in setting up bases outside the valley.'

A version of this article appears in the print on June 29, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.