59 flights to be operated to bring Nepalis home

KATHMANDU, Aug 26: The government has made public the schedule for regular commercial flights that is set to resume from September 2.

A total of 59 scheduled commercial flights will be conducted in a month, of which 30 will be carried out by foreign international airlines and the remaining 29 by Nepal-based international airlines. The government-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation will carry out 17 flights to destinations like Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia and Hongkong whereas the Himalayan Airlines will conduct 12 flights to China, Malaysia and UAE.

Similarly, foreign international airlines will open booking for flights to Nepal from countries, including Korea, China and Turkey, among others. A single airline will be allowed to operate only one commercial scheduled flight a day as the government is planning to let only 500 passengers enter Nepal per day. According to Yogesh Bhattarai, the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the government will analyze the situation and will gradually extend the limitation if the pandemic is under control.

Meanwhile the government is also operating 27 charter flights to destinations where PCR tests are not easily available. The national flag carrier will operate 11 flights, followed by Himalaya Airlines with 10 flights. Nepal has permitted six charter flights by foreign international airlines during a month-long period. “The government will bear the cost of 200 Nepali nationals each day who are unable to come back to Nepal at their own expense,” said Bhattarai, in a meeting organized on Tuesday. Nepali diplomatic missions abroad will recommend the eligible passengers.

The government has mandated all passengers who do not have PRC negative test certificates to stay in quarantine upon their arrival in Kathmandu. All passengers travelling from countries where PCR test is easily available must hold PCR test negative certificate issued within the 72 hours of scheduled flight time.

All PCR test negative passengers will be allowed to go home with a written commitment to stay at home quarantine for at least 14 days. Local level authorities will monitor the quarantine compliance.

For countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia where PCR tests are not easily accessible, all the passengers must have a document of confirmed hotel booking in Kathmandu with mandatory stay in hotel quarantine for at least seven days.