Passengers struggle to get return air tickets from Humla

By Our Correspondent,Humla, Oct. 13: Humla district is still not connected to the road network. Anyone who wishes to leave the district should use the air route; however, the passengers are now struggling to get air tickets to return to Nepalgunj and Surkhet for Dashain in a lack of adequate flights.

According to authorities, there is a lack of enough tickets as the number of daily flights has been declining. Meanwhile, locals informed that the flight tickets were distributed to those with contacts.

“I wanted to leave for Nepalgunj 10 days ago. I have not been able to leave as there are no flight tickets. I have to return to Nepalgunj not only for Dashain, but it is because my daughter’s delivery date is nearing,” said Pabitra Pariyar, a tailor based in Simkot Bazaar of Humla.

Another passenger Parimal Bohora informed that he had been arriving at the ticket counters daily for the past eight days to seek an air ticket to Surkhet. 

“I arrive at the ticket counter early morning. However, every day I am told that the tickets were already sold out despite waiting until evening,” said Bohora.

Moreover, alongside passengers, patients referred outside the district by Humla District Hospital are also unable to reach a better health institution due to the lack of enough flights and unmanaged distribution of tickets.

According to ticket counters, there are over 300 passengers who are waiting for tickets in Simkot. Some passengers even informed that they were planning to walk to Mugu or Salisalla on foot and then find a bus or jeep to Nepalgunj or Surkhet.

Officials informed that flights of Summit Air, Sita Air, Tara Air and Nepal Airlines have permits to fly to the Simkot Airport.  However, only Summit Air makes one or two flights to Simkot on a daily basis. Sita, Tara and Nepal Airlines have been flying to Simkot only up to four times a week in maximum.

“The major cause for the lack of tickets is the inability to park aeroplanes in Nepalgunj,” said Govinda Lama, in charge of Summit Air in Simkot.