The airlines cut their flights to rural areas, taking advantage of the delay in submission of report by a high-level team formed to resolve fare issues in the sector. Earlier, they had agreed to operate schedule flights to rural areas without airfare hike.[break]
Following complaints from locals, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) - the aviation service regulator - has directed domestic carriers to operate scheduled flights on the routes.
“We have come to know that private carriers have cut their flights to rural areas. We have directed them to resume operation as before,” said Ram Prasad Neupane, director general of CAAN. He, however, refused to inform the number of flights that private carriers have reduced.
Ranjan Krishna Aryal, joint secretary of Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation and the coordinator of the high-level team, said the date for submission of report has been extended till April 13. “It´s not possible to reach to a conclusion within two weeks, as it is a very serious issue,” he added.
According to Neupane, airlines couldn´t operate flights as per the schedule due to protest by locals and diversion of some aircraft to other routes. Some airlines informed us that some of their aircraft were under maintenance, said Neupane.
“Number of flights to rural areas was already low. We are trying our best so that locals don´t have to suffer.”
Following protest from locals, the government had retracted its decision regarding airfare hike till the committee submits its report. A joint meeting between Airlines Operators´ Association of Nepal (AOAN), lawmakers from Karnali and Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation had taken the decision.
Along with national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), Tara Air and Sita Air are among the carriers operating flights in rural areas.
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