Air services resume: Pokhara-Jomsom flights restart, Taplejung gets flights after 3.5 months

Regular flights have resumed at Suketar Airport in Taplejung from Monday, after a gap of three and a half months. The Pokhara-Jomsom flights, which had been halted due to rain, have also resumed after three days.

A Nepal Airlines Twin Otter aircraft has begun flying to Suketar, which had been closed since Jestha 22 due to bad weather and other reasons. Air Traffic Controller Dilip Rajbanshi said the aircraft, which arrived from Kathmandu carrying 13 passengers, returned with 5 passengers.

A new schedule has been set for this route from Asoj 15, with flights on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The fare from Kathmandu to Taplejung has been set at Rs 12,270, and from Taplejung to Kathmandu at Rs 12,070. It has been said that flights here have not been able to run regularly due to aircraft shortages, technical problems and, at times, a lack of passengers.

Bishwaraj Sharma, chief of the Jomsom Civil Aviation Office, said a Summit Air Twin Otter made five flights on Monday on the Pokhara-Jomsom route, which had been closed since Friday. Passengers from Nepal, India and other countries have arrived in Jomsom, while a significant number of passengers are also heading to Pokhara.

With the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road blocked at dozens of places, air service has offered some relief to tourists heading to Mustang.