KATHMANDU, Oct 8: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is beginning scheduled flights on Kathmandu-Dang route from Monday. The flight will be operated via Bhairahawa.

According to the state-owned carrier, the flight will depart from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu at 11:45 am and land in Bhairahawa at 12:35. It will then leave for Tarigaun airport of Dang at 12:50 and land at 1:30 pm. The return flight will also be operated via Bhairahawa.

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has permitted NAC to operate two weekly flights, on Mondays and Fridays, on the sector.

Ashok Sigdel, the spokesperson for the NAC, said that the flight will help passengers traveling to their homeland for Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.

NAC is operating Harbin Y12e aircraft for the flight. Airfare has been fixed at Rs 6,070 for Kathmandu-Dang and Rs 5,880 for Dang-Kathmandu flights, according to Sigdel.

"Of our four Y12e aircraft, two are under maintenance, while other two are in operation. We hope to get the third aircraft into operation by Dashain," he added.

The national flag carrier, which had curtailed its flights to remote destinations due to shortage of aircraft, among other reasons, is gradually resuming flights to those destinations. It operated scheduled and chartered flight to Lukla on Saturday. NAC has announced to operate four daily flights to Lukla -- the gateway to the Everest region.

According to Sigdel, all seats of Monday's Dang flight have already been booked. "We will expand our wings in domestic sectors ore all our aircraft become operational," added Sigdel.

NAC has a fleet of 13 aircraft -- five for international routes and eight for domestic routes. The national carrier operates two Airbus A320 series aircraft, two Airbus A330 series aircraft and an ageing Boeing 757 on international routes. Similarly, it has two MA 60s, four Y12e aircraft and two Twin Otters for domestic route.

 
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• lukla
 
• kathmandu
 
• dang