KATHMANDU, Feb 9: The Avia Club Nepal, which has been offering ultralight flight services in the skies of Pokhara, has now started preparations for flights from Madhesh Province. The company aims to provide domestic and foreign tourists with a view of Mount Everest.
Natasha Shrestha, managing director of Avia Club, said that they plan to conduct flights to offer the view of the Everest region from one of the airports in Janakpur and Rajbiraj. According to her, this will allow tourists visiting Janakpur to explore the Everest region.
Avia Club conducted a test flight from Janakpur Airport a few days ago to fly to the Everest region. She said that it will take an hour to fly from Janakpur to the Everest region and the same time to return.
“One can closely observe Mount Everest and return to Janakpur within two hours. This will enhance the potential for adventure tourism in the Madhesh Province,” said Shrestha, “We believe this will bring a new dimension to the tourism sector.”
According to Shrestha, there are also plans for a test flight from Rajbiraj Airport. However, the scheduled flight was cancelled due to a windstorm.
According to Shrestha, regular flights will start after receiving permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
“Many Indian pilgrims visit Janakpur. If we can fly them in the sky over the Everest region, it would greatly benefit tourism,” she said.
The CAAN has granted the permission to the club to fly ultralight aircraft at an altitude of up to 10,500 feet. However, it is not yet certain how high the plane can go towards Mount Everest. “Even if the flights cannot fly as high as the summit of Everest, tourists will still be able to enjoy the Himalayan views of the Everest region,” she said “This will promote adventure tourism. Tourists will certainly be delighted to see the spectacular view of the mountains and the summit of Everest.”
Avia Club has two types of ultralight aircraft. Out of the six aircraft owned by Avia Club, two are fixed wing and four are flex wing aircraft. Of these, the plan is to use the fixed wing aircraft to fly in the skies of the Everest region, added Shrestha.
She said that it will be a new product for tourism in the Terai region and that there is a possibility that Indian guests will come to Janakpur to board this ultralight aircraft. “The aircraft can fly even in visibility of 1,500 meters. The runway length of 600 meters is sufficient for such aircraft. Therefore, we have planned to fly from one of the airports either in Janakpur or Rajbiraj,” she said.
Nepal first introduced ultralight aircraft in 1996, attracting adventure tourists to Pokhara. Avia Club, which started its service with two ultralights, now has six aircraft.