Ranjan Krisha Aryal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA), said the government took the decision, taking into consideration the direction of parliamentary International Relations and Human Rights Committee and changing circumstances.[break]
“We have instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to immediately implement the decision. Air Arabia´s flight to Kuala Lumpur scheduled to begin from Thursday has been cancelled,” Aryal added.
The International Relations and Human Rights Committee on Sunday instructed the government to cancel the permission given to the UAE-based budget carrier to operate flights on one of the most profitable routes of national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).
Meanwhile, NAC employees on the day obstructed all domestic flights of the national carrier, demanding the government to withdraw the permit issued to Air Arabia. The disruption of about a dozen flights affected around 200 passengers heading to different parts of the country.
Pradeep Karki, deputy director of NAC, said three flights each from Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj were scheduled for the day.
Organizing a press meet, trade unions of employees of the national flag carrier warned that they would shut Tribhuwan International Airport on Thursday if the government failed to address their demands.
They argued that the decision to allow Air Arabia operate flights on the route would push the national flag carrier to the brink of collapse.
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