Flights at Resunga Airport in Gulmi have been suspended for a month due to the grounding of Nepal Airlines’ two Twin Otter planes.
Suman Thapa, the station chief of Nepal Airlines at Resunga, stated that passengers face difficulties because of the halted services.
Nepal Airlines began commercial flights in Gulmi on Baisakh 29, 2080. Initially, there were three flights a week, which later increased to four due to rising passenger demand. However, the number of flights gradually decreased to two, then one per week, before coming to a complete halt.
According to Thapa, the service disruption has been caused by the shortage of Twin Otter planes and the expiration of engine cycles. The grounded planes are currently under maintenance, and it will take more time to resume regular flights.
Until recently, flights operated every Thursday. The 18-seat Twin Otter planes departed from Kathmandu at 6:30 a.m. and returned from Resunga Airport at 7:30 a.m. Nepal Airlines had set the ticket price at NPR 7,500 for Kathmandu to Resunga and NPR 7,300 for Resunga to Kathmandu.
Due to strong afternoon winds, flights were only conducted in the morning. Over the last 21 months, 90 one-way flights have been completed, serving 2,253 passengers, according to Thapa.
The start of flight services boosted the number of domestic and international tourists visiting Gulmi. Despite high passenger demand, the lack of aircraft has prevented Nepal Airlines from maintaining regular operations, Thapa added.