Kathmandu / Bhairahawa, July 2

Domestic airline companies were unable to operate flights in the Pokhara, Lukla and Bhairahawa sectors throughout the day today due to bad weather.

According to Prem Nath Thakur, spokesperson for Tribhuvan International Airport, most of the flights scheduled for Pokhara, Lukla and Bhairahawa were cancelled due to inclement weather. “However, after the weather improved, Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines operated one flight each to Bhairahawa in the evening as there is airport runway lighting system in Bhairahawa.” Even though it is off-season for tourists, 20 flights are being operated on a daily basis to Lukla, 16 to 18 to Pokhara sector and nine to 10 to Bhairahawa, according to Thakur. However, all these flights were cancelled due to bad weather today. TIA authorities stated that flights would resume tomorrow depending on the weather.

Tek Raj Pokhrel, chief at Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Bhairahawa, told mediapersons, “Visibility in the area had gone down to 600. When the visibility goes below 1,000, flights are generally cancelled. Airline companies are not allowed to conduct flights when visibility is poor,” added Pokhrel. Departure lounge of the airport and counters of Simrik Air, Saurya Air and Nepal Airlines had witnessed leakage of water from the roof, while car parking area of the airport was inundated.