Flights operations resume from Kolti Airport after two weeks

KATHMANDU, August 20: Flight operations to Kolti Airport of Bajura district have resumed following the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)’s decision to provide some flexibility for conducting flight operations in hilly areas and STOL airports across the country during the monsoon. Earlier, the authority halted flights operation in hilly areas after 12 PM citing concerns over air flight safety. 

Bir Bahadur Budha, head of CAAN at Kolti, informed that after all-around criticism and public complaints, the authority has decided to allow flights after operation hours if the weather is favorable. "The 'operation hour' of the airport is from 6 AM to 12:30 noon in all the airports of Sudurpaschim and Karnali apart from Jumla Airport. Taking into consideration the public complaints and the situation of the citizens of hilly and mountainous districts, the authority has decided to allow flights from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM again by placing certain regulations in place. According to the authority, two or more regular air flights are conducted from the Kolti Airport located in the remote area of ​​Bajura.

Nepal Airlines, Sita Air, Tara Air, and Summit Air have been conducting Kolti-Nepalgunj, Nepalgunj-Kolti, Kolti-Dhangadhi and Dhangadhi-Kolti flights from the airport.