Ramechhap: The closure of the Nepal Airlines Corporation office based in Manthali, the district headquarters of Ramechhap, has posed difficulties for passengers, who frequent Kathmandu.

The NAC had been operating flights to and from the Manthali airport, the only airport in Ramechhap, for 30 years.

The NAC had been operating flights thrice a week.

Citing a decrease in the number of passengers, NAC stopped its Ramechhap operation in April and closed the Manthali office in the third week of September.

“The number of air passengers decreased after the district headquarters was linked with the road network,” Babu Kaji Dahal, NAC station in-charge at the Manthali airport, said, adding, “As ticket sale nosedived, there was no alternative to closing the NAC office.” People said the office closure had hit them. “The civil society has urged private airlines to operate flights,” Govinda Prasad Ghimire of Babiyakharka said.

“We have information that Yeti Airlines is planning to operate flights here,” said Kedar Prasad Satyal, chief of district office of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.