KATHMANDU, Sept 20: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has returned Jazeera Airways' proposal for operating flights at Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), requesting a revised flight schedule.
Jazeera Airways had initially proposed midnight arrivals and departures, but CAAN asked the airline to resubmit a new schedule. CAAN's Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul said that the airline had suggested a 2:00 AM arrival and 3:00 AM departure, which was financially unfeasible for the authority.
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"Jazeera requested three flight slots per week, but the proposed times were unsuitable," Bhul explained. "Operating the airport during those hours would cost over five million rupees monthly, which we cannot sustain. Additionally, the government has introduced a special discount plan for airlines using the Bhairahawa airport, but it still doesn't cover the necessary expenses."
CAAN has asked Jazeera Airways to schedule flights between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM, when the airport is operational.
Jazeera Airways had previously operated flights to Bhairahawa for six months but ceased operations due to low passenger numbers. Currently, the GBIA which began operations two and a half years ago only handles a weekly flight by Nepal Airlines Corporation to repatriate passengers from Malaysia.
