KATHMANDU, MAY 26

Nepal Airlines has resumed regular flight operations between Phaplu Airport in Salleri, Solukhumbu, and Kathmandu, with four flights scheduled weekly. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), flights will operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Air services on this route had been suspended since mid-December 2024 due to technical issues with the aircraft. The flights resumed following necessary maintenance, confirmed Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, a senior CAAN official based in Phaplu.

Previously, the route was serviced only once a week before being grounded entirely. Tenzing Sherpa, Nepal Airlines' station chief in Phaplu, said the suspension had affected the region for nearly four months.

Local residents and businesses have welcomed the resumption. 'The restart of flights has relieved us from the need to travel the disaster-prone BP Highway to reach Kathmandu,' said Mahesh Adhikari, a local entrepreneur. 'However, consistency and reliability in service are crucial.'

Karma Sherpa, senior vice president of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), added that tourism operators are optimistic about the boost in accessibility to the region known for its trekking destinations.

(With inputs from RSS)