NAC to conduct test flight at Resunga Airport on Wednesday

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: Gulmi's new airport Resunga will have regular flights. An agreement has been reached that on Wednesday, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC)'s TwinOtter aircraft will conduct a testing flight and then carry out regular flights.

According to the agreement between Resunga Municipality and NAC, it has been agreed that 30% of the total seat capacity per flight landing will be guaranteed by Resunga Municipality and other management corporations will arrange it. Accordingly, the NAC will conduct a commercial 'proving' flight on Wednesday.

After that, an agreement has been made that there will be a regular flight every Monday. According to the NAC, when going to Gulmi, the NAC's TwinOtter plane can carry 14 passengers. Because of the remaining load penalty, the seat must be vacated and flown. Since fuel can be consumed on the way back, it can carry passengers in two more seats, i.e. 16 seats. According to this, there will be a total capacity of 30 seats per flight/landing. Out of this, 10 seats have been guaranteed by Resunga Municipality.

Resunga Airport can be reached at a distance of about 1 hour from Kathmandu. If regular flights continue, it is expected that there will be no shortage of passengers in Gulmi. After that, it is expected that private sector airline companies can also be attracted. The report of the test flight conducted by Tara Air earlier has also been submitted to the NAC. Tara Air had conducted a test flight here on 24th December. After the successful test flight, Tara Air also prepared to fly here. However, the company pushed back its plan after the Yeti Airlines plane crashed in Pokhara.

According to Yog Raj Kandel, the spokesperson of Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN), who witnessed the agreement between Resunga municipality and the NAC, the NAC will carry passengers at a lower fare of about 2,000 rupees compared to private companies.The responsibility of setting the ticket rates has been given to the NAC. 

If the regular flight is successful, the passengers of districts including Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Baglung, Palpa will get service. Gulmi is going to fly in the concept adopted earlier in Ilam and Baglung. Those two airports could not get regular passengers. Therefore, even after the contract was over, there was no flight.

The foundation stone of Resunga Airport was laid in 2063 by the then Tourism Minister Pradeep Gyawali. He was also a representative in this area in the previous House of Representatives. A runway of 520 meters length and 20 meters width has been built here. Where only small   planes with 18 seat capacity can take off and land. Such planes are with Nepal Airlines, Tara Air, Summit Air and Sita Air.