Single-engine planes ferrying goods

Bajura, March 29

Airline companies with single-engine domestic aircraft have turned into carriers transporting goods and commodities to remote districts after the government banned single-engine aircrafts from carrying passengers citing safety reasons.

The government had decided to bar single-engine aircraft from carrying passengers after a pilot and co-pilot died and nine other passengers were injured when a single-engine Air Kasthamandap aircraft met with an accident in Kalikot earlier.

The decision has mostly affected Air Kasthamandap, Goma Air and Makalu Air, as Air Kasthamandap has one such aircraft while Goma and Makalu airlines have two such aircraft each.

All single-engine aircraft are currently being used to ferry goods and commodities to rural districts like Humla, Dolpa and Bajura, informed Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Nepalgunj senior officer Mahendra Bahadur Singh.

The aircraft companies have also fixed the fare for ferrying goods. They charge Rs 50, 85 and 100 per kg of the goods they ferry to Bajura, Dolpa and Humla districts, respectively.

The government decision to ban single-engine aircraft, however, also has a negative side. “Earlier when those planes were allowed to carry passengers, getting a ticket wasn’t as difficult as it is now,” said Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Kolti chief Mohan Giri.