NEPALGUNJ, MARCH 22

A month after direct flight was launched between Nepalgunj and Pokhara, more flights have been added considering the increasing number of passengers.

Direct flight between Nepalgunj and Pokhara was launched with the view to link the western Nepal to the country's major tourism hub, Pokhara, thereby helping people aspiring to fly to Pokhara from Nepalgunj or vice-versa, get rid of the hassle of having to transit through Kathmandu.

Earlier, there were two flights a week - on Sunday and Friday - linking these two cities. Now onwards, there will be a flight on every Wednesday as well.

"It was the expectation that the tourists coming to visit Gandaki would also visit Banke and Bardia or vice versa which motivated us to launch direct flight between the two cities. Now that people travelling in this route are increasing, we had to increase the number of flights, adding one more flight on Wednesday," said Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents, Banke, chapter Shreeram Sigdel.

According to Sigdel, more flights will be added in the future keeping in view the number of passengers.

Direct flights have been beneficial particularly for the Indian tourists, who had to transit through Kathmandu to fly to Pokhara from Nepalgunj or vice-versa. Sita Air is operating the flights between these two cities.

Further, NATTA Bara Chair also informed about the association's plan to start direct flights between Nepalgunj and various places in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces to revive the tourism sector.


A version of this article appears in the print on March 23, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.