ATR-72 starts Surkhet-Kathmandu flights

Surkhet: ATR-72 aircraft has started regular flights at the airport in Surkhet, the capital of Karnali province.

Buddha Air, a private sector air service provider company, has started regular flights on the Kathmandu-Surkhet-Kathmandu route through ATR-72 aircraft.

The spokesperson of Nepal Civil Aviation Authority, Jagannath Niraula, informed that regular flights have started to that destination from today through ATR aircraft. A test flight was conducted at Surkhet Airport recently.

After the test flight was successful, the regular flight was conducted. The information officer of the company, Dipendra Kumar Karna, said that the ATR aircraft of Buddha Air made its first commercial flight to Surkhet with 70 passengers including senior officials of the authority.

Buddha Air’s ATR 72 aircraft will operate one daily flight between Kathmandu and Surkhet. Earlier, the company was operating one daily flight to that destination through ATR-42 aircraft with a capacity of 47 seats.

It is believed that flights through large ships will help the development of the tourism sector of Karnali province. Niraula, the spokesperson, says that after the regular flight through the ATR-72 aircraft, the airfare of the route will also be cheaper.

At present, the airfare between Kathmandu and Surkhet is fixed at Rs 14,000. Earlier, before the Covid-19 epidemic, private sector Shree Airlines had conducted a test flight at Surkhet Airport.

Shree Airlines is also mulling over making a flight to Surkhet in near future. After the regular flight of Buddha Air, the ATR aircraft of Yeti Air will also fly. Yeti Airlines spokesperson Sudarshan Bertaula said that there is a plan to fly ATR aircraft to Surkhet.