Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has urged the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to drop its unilateral decision to reduce the number of flights from 14 to ten per week on the Kathmandu-Delhi route for not utilizing the newly opened Gautam Buddha International Airport. The flights have been reduced effective October 30, 2022.
“Due to this decision, the income is being sliced and the airlines have to bear the additional cost of rerouting passengers after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) slashed the number of flights to Delhi from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Nepal’s first international airport,” NAC said in a statement.
The reduction of four flights per week during the peak season has caused a weekly loss of around INR 90.5 million to the national flag carrier, as per NAC.
“We’d been operating two Kathmandu-Delhi flights per day at near full occupancy, which was one of the major income sources for NAC,” the official said.
This decision by CAAN is viewed as being forceful and unilateral in Nepal’s aviation circle.
According to sources, in an effort to reduce air traffic at TIA and for effective utilization of the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), the second international airport of Nepal, CAAN reduced the number of Nepal Airlines’ flights on the Kathmandu-Delhi route.
Gyanendra Bhul, CAAN’s Information Officer clarified the stance: “The authority was compelled to reduce NAC’s flights to Delhi as the corporation was dilly-dallying in operating the flights from GBIA.”
Archana Khadka, spokesperson of Nepal Airlines, said: “We are asking the CAAN for permission to operate four additional flights for connecting Delhi. The flights in the Kathmandu-Delhi sector are important for Nepalis seeking medical treatment and students going for higher studies in India, as well as business promotion and connection to third countries.”
She further added that as per schedule, Nepal Airlines will fly four flights per week from Kathmandu to Delhi and from Delhi to Kathmandu via the Gautam Buddha International Airport.