By Siraj Khan

Nepalgunj, Feb. 20: Charter flight on Nepalgunj-Pokhara route has begun since Friday.
Under the efforts of tourism and private sectors, Sita Air introduced the first Nepalgunj-Pokhara charter flight on Friday
In its first flight, an air craft of Sita Air took off from Nepalgunj Airport to Pokhara carrying 18 passengers, including businessmen from Banke and Bardiya, local representatives such as Mayor Dhawal Shumsher Rana of Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City.
Similarly, tourism businessmen from Pokhara will also arrive at the Nepalgunj Airport to visit the tourist destinations here.
“The charter flight service has begun under the efforts and coordination of Banke chapter and Gandaki Province division of Nepal Association of Travel Agents (NATA). The service will help us uplift our tourism sector,” said Shreeram Sigdel, chairman at NATA, Banke.
Sita Air will be providing service of two charter flights a week in the initial days, and it will increase the number of flights based on demand, he said.
“The government didn’t help us in the way it should have. Nevertheless, we are able to operate the service after several efforts and struggles. It is a great achievement,” said Krishna Prasad Shrestha, former member at Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce & Industries, amidst the inauguration ceremony at the airport.
Meanwhile, the local bodies also argued that they had been conducting necessary process to operate two new flight routes from Nepalgunj.
“We are able to operate Nepalgunj-Pokhara flight service. We also hope to inaugurate the flight service from Nepalgunj-New Delhi if all goes as per our plan,” said Rana.
With the charter flight in operation for Nepalgunj-Pokhara, the route is expected to welcome tourists visiting Pokhara from India to utilise the service.