Flights suspended at Resunga Airport for one month

KATHMANDU, Jan 20:Gulmi's Resunga Airport has been without air service for a month. After the grounding of two Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) twin-otter aircraft, air services in the district have been suspended for a month.

Suman Thapa, the station chief for NAC Resunga, stated that since the air services were halted, passengers have been having issues.

After the NAC began operating commercial flights in Gulmi on12 May , 2023, air services in the district were operational. Since commercial flights began in the district, the NAC has operated three times per week.

Due to increased passenger demand, the NAC increased the frequency of flights to four times per week at the time. After occasionally grounding its planes, the NAC has now totally discontinued air operations in the district.

Thapa, the airport's station chief, stated that the NAC only has two twin-otter aircraft, and that service was disrupted when the aircraft's engines ran out.

He stated that it will take some time to restore regular operations in the district because two Twin Otter planes have been grounded and are undergoing maintenance.

Previously, the Corporation operated flights from Resunga Airport only once a week on Thursdays. NAC's 18-seat Twin Otter aircraft flew from Kathmandu to Resunga Airport in Gulmi at 6:30 a.m. and back at 7:30 a.m.

The NAC has set the fare as 7,500 from Kathmandu to Resunga and 7,300 from Resunga to Kathmandu.

The airport office has indicated that flights will only be performed in the morning due to high air pressure in the afternoon.

Over the last 21 months, 90 one-way flights have been performed from here to Kathmandu. According to Station Chief Thapa, 2,253 passengers have taken flights in both directions thus far.

With the recent launch of air services, the number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the district has surged.

Thapa stated that, despite the great demand for air services, the NAC has been unable to provide regular services due to a lack of aircraft.