Demand internationalflights start immediately at Pokhara international Airport

POKHAR, Feb 20:On Sunday, Pokhara citizens held a public hearing to express their unhappiness, demanding that international flights resume immediately at the newly constructed Pokhara International Airport.

During the event, which was co-organized by the National Unity Campaign and the Independent Journalists' Association Kaski, several stakeholders demanded that the government run the airport at full capacity.

Vinay Yadav, coordinator of the National Unity Campaign, stated that Pokhara people had made considerable investments in the airport's construction and voiced unhappiness with the airport's current status. He aroused the attention of the stakeholders by emphasizing the importance of the airport's complete operation.

Key presenters during the hearing included former central president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Anandraj Mulmi, analyst Yuganath Sharma Paudel, tourist expert Vasudev Tripathi, social worker Kumar Rana, president of the Journalist Federation Kaski, and others.

Asafal Gautam, President of the Independent Journalists' Association Kaski, led the program, ensuring that many perspectives were heard and issues were successfully communicated.

The collective message of Pokhara inhabitants was clear: the international airport's idleness would be unacceptable, and prompt actions should be done to overcome the obstacles preventing its operation.

Despite the official inauguration of the airport in January 2023, Pokhara people are unhappy by the lack of international flights.

However, not just the residents, but the entire country, are concerned about the loan acquired for the airport's development.

Therefore, the speakers urged the government to convert the loan taken from China into a grant, reducing the financial burden on the nation.

Similarly, the speakers spoke out against claims of corruption in the airport's building process, calling for a thorough inquiry to ensure transparency and accountability.