Sukilumba Airport awaiting resumption of flights

By Prem Adhikari, Pashupatinagar, Aug. 25: No flights have taken off from Ilam’s Sukilumba Airport for the past three months.

Tara Air was the only airliner flying to the only airport of Ilam, which had come into operation only in February this year.

 It operated two flights every week for about three months from February 23 to May 20 this year. However, it has not made any flight since then citing runway damage.

The then Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Ale and former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal had inaugurated the 700-metre long and 20-metre wide runway on February 13. But even before it got a chance to celebrate its first anniversary, nearly half the eastern section collapsed in May. 

The gabion wall could not withstand the weight of the earth it was designed to hold back and gave way. This made landing and taking off at Sukilumba dangerous and forced Tara Air to halt all flights, although it has not made any formal announcement regarding the matter yet.

Tara Air had entered into an arrangement with Ilam Municipality to operate regular flights to Sukilumba. Under the arrangement, the municipality had been guaranteeing the fare of up to 11 passengers. But now, Tara has seemingly violated that agreement and stopped flights unilaterally.

“The carrier told us that it did not have enough aeroplanes to fly to Sukilumba due to its recent accidents and halted flights without our consent,” Nutan Dev Dulal, spokesperson for the municipality, told The Rising Nepal. 

Dulal informed that a delegation led by Mayor Kedar Thapa had asked the federal government and the state-owned Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to conduct flights for the convenience of people travelling for the coming Dashain and Tihar festivals. “We expect the flights to begin soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, the absence of planes has turned the airport into a TikTok and selfie spot for locals and visitors. Construction of the airport at a hillock called Sukilumba in Ilam Municipality-9 began in 2001 and it has already consumed more than Rs. 300 million. Yet, fences, terminal buildings and waiting areas have not been constructed. The runway that had been built has also been damaged.