Kathmandu, November 16:

Cosmic Air’s inaugural mountain flight with its Fokker-100 jet today provided passengers a “spectacular” view of Everest and Annapurna mountain ranges. This is probably the first flight that covers the Annapurna and Everest mountain ranges.

“We are the first airline in Nepal to use a Boeing for mountain flights covering both the Himalayan ranges,” said Simrik Shrestha, deputy director of sales and marketing division of Cosmic Air. The airline is expected to begin its scheduled mountain flights with its Fokker from November 20.

There were 72 passengers, including journalists and crew members, on board the 108 seater aircraft which took off at around 8.30 am today.

Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Gauri Shankar, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Everest, Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, Annapurna, Machhapuchhre are some of the peaks that can be seen during the mountain flight.

The airline intends to sell only 84 out of 108 air seats per flight so as to provide a better view of the mountains to the passengers.

The airline has however yet to fix its air fare. “We plan to begin a concept of companion fare which allows two passengers to share two seats for the price of one ticket,” said Shrestha.

However, a passenger also has a choice of purchasing a single ticket at a regular

price. The airline had so far been operating mountain flights in its thirty-three seater SAB aircraft.

A 41-year-old Spanish tourist, Maria Carmen Sane, said: “The mountain flight today made me feel as if I were in heaven. I felt like I was on top of the mountains.” Another Spanish tourist, Pablo Uriarte Masio, said it was amazing to see the mountains. “I found Mt Pumori the prettiest of all the mountains.”