After upgrade, Chaurjahari airport turns into grassland

By Raju Lamichhane,Rukum Paschim, Nov. 25: Chaurjahari Airport, which came into operation in 1971 targeting passengers from Rukum, Jajarkot and Salyan districts, is currently non-operational. The current status of the airport has surprised many--it was functional when the runway was not tarred for decades but has remained shut after the runway was blacktopped.

The runway of the airport, located in Chaurjahari Municipality-1, was blacktopped in 2015 at a cost of Rs. 55.9 million. While irregular flights continued for a short period after the upgrade of the infrastructure, the airport has remained closed since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor of Chaurjahari, Pushpa Badi, called it unfortunate that the airport, which operated with a gravel runway for over four decades, has been shut down after receiving a major upgrade. He lamented that the government’s significant investment has gone to waste, leaving the public deprived of air travel. 

Although the local governments in the region had drawn the attention of Nepal Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), no action has been taken to make the airport operational, said Badi. 

He said that operation of flight services from the private sector airlines will benefit the locals especially the patients who are in need of an urgent medical care. 

According to former Nepal Airlines Chaurjahari office in-charge Surendra Nepali, although sporadic flights happened in the post-upgrade scenario, operations were suspended during the pandemic following directives from higher authorities. 

The team from Nepal Airlines’ Western Region office in Nepalgunj, which managed flights to Chaurjahari, later removed its local office, effectively ending operations. Before closure, Chaurjahari Airport used to operate weekly flights to Nepalgunj and Kathmandu.

Since flights stopped, the airport has been overtaken by vegetation. Except for the blacktopped runway, much of the airport has been buried by bushes, with an indication that it will gradually turn into a forest.

Mote Giri, a resident of Chaurjahari-1, expressed frustration over the closure of the airport, saying it has caused significant difficulties for locals. 

With no flights available, people are forced to endure risky journeys on rough roads. Giri added that 

transporting patients to advanced hospitals on time has become increasingly challenging in lack of flights to the airport.