Kathmandu, March 21
The initial excitement following inauguration of Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) on May 16, 2022 has turned into a massive disappointment for local businesses and stakeholders as Jazeera Airlines remains the only international carrier conducting operations to and from the country's second international airport at present.
The complete disregard shown by the government in conducting regular international operations from the airport has affected the tourism and economic possibilities of the region, according to local stakeholders.
While Jazeera Airlines started operations from GBIA shortly after the airport's launch, the airline suspended operations from December 21 till the beginning of March citing adverse weather conditions. Similarly, Himalaya Airlines, which had started operations from GBIA on November 3, is yet to resume operations after the airline company halted operation in December. Also, despite repeated announcements of preparing to start operations from GBIA since last year, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is yet to walk the talk.
According to Chandra Prakash Shrestha, president of Siddhartha Hotel Association, Jazeera Airlines remaining the only international airline service provider from the GBIA is a strong indication that the region lacks proper air connectivity. "When we confront the bodies concerned about this issue, we are given various reasons instead of a solution. While we are told that the instrument landing system has not been able to come into operation and that the airlines have not received a no-objection certificate from India, we wonder how the government plans to use GBIA despite pouring billions of rupees into the project."
According to him, majority of tourists visiting Lumbini and surrounding areas are Indians and Buddhists, and the lack of air connectivity has dented the possibility of welcoming even more tourists there.
"Of the 146 hotels in operation in the region, a few of them are running at 40 per cent occupancy while the rest are operating below 15 per cent. The lack of proper air and road connectivity has affected our chances of increasing the length of a tourists' stay in the region," Shrestha informed The Himalayan Times.
He also shared that the government should introduce proper marketing strategies for South Asia to increase tourism flow into the region. "Many of our fellow tour operators from India and other neighbouring countries are completely unaware of GBIA operating as an international airport. The NAC, being a national flag carrier, should start conducting operations to Varanasi and Delhi while also making GBIA the destination airport to contribute to the region's tourism and economy," he shared.
Similarly, Krishna Prasad Adhikari, president of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents of Lumbini Province, also complained of the government's disregard in increasing the number of international airline operations from the airport in the past 10 months, resulting in less to no improvements for businesses and residents here due to lack of international connectivity.
"Jazeera Airlines has resumed its operations from GBIA and conducts three flights a week at full capacity. Despite there being a demand for international airlines from the airport, service-seekers are without an option but to fly to Kathmandu before heading to their respective destinations. The disregard by the government is starting to feel intentional. Although it is the duty of national flag carriers to start operations from the country's airports to contribute to tourism inflow, the NAC has yet to start operations from GBIA. An entry of a big carrier would also have helped in controlling high airfares," he said.
Adhikari also warned that the businesses and industries in the region have no option but to start protests over the issue and halt all domestic operations if international flights don't start from GBIA soon.
Meanwhile, Jagannath Niroula, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), shared that the NAC and Himalaya Airlines are undergoing preparations to conduct operations from GBIA, although no official decision has been made.
Meanwhile, NAC Spokesperson Archana Khadka informed that while preparations are underway to conduct operations from GBIA in the coming months, no decision has been finalised yet, adding that the NAC is also facing some difficulties in scheduling its flights due to limited number of aircraft.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
