Fly Dubai to resume flights from Bhairahawa starting January 13

By Our Correspondent,Bhairahawa, Dec. 23: Fly Dubai, which had suspended flights from Gautam Buddha International Airport, Bhairahawa since December 15, is set to resume them from mid-January.

Fly Dubai is preparing to resume flights at the Gautam Buddha International Airport from January 13, 2025.

It had suspended its flight from the airport since December 15 citing weather conditions.

Fly Dubai has been operating daily flights from Dubai-Bhairahawa-Kathmandu-Dubai. 

Navaraj Shahi, Sales Manager of Fly Dubai, GSA Universal Tours and Travel, said that flights had been suspended due to adverse weather conditions and regular flights would resume from January 13, 2025.

He said, "We have not stopped flights as rumoured in the market, it was only due to the weather conditions." 

“It has been stopped only due to bad weather, but this flight will resume as the number of passengers is increasing,” said Shahi. 

He argued that flights have been suspended for some time due to the weather, as flights from Dubai will only depart once the airport here opens, affecting other scheduled flights.

He said, "During bad weather, we were forced to divert to Kathmandu and circle the skies of Bhairahawa. Now, that may not be necessary."

Shahi expressed confidence that flights will land using satellite-based RNP-AR technology after January 23, 2025 and that landing and take-off will be easier once this technology is introduced.

Although the Instrument Landing System (ILS), a technology that can take-off and land even in low light, has been installed, has been installed it has not been operational due to technical reasons. 

As the ILS technology is not in use, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has made preparations to introduce the satellite-based technology RNP-AR from January 23, 2025 as an alternative.

Due to the weather, Jazeera Airways has suspended Kuwait-Bhairahawa-Kuwait flights from December 13 until mid-January 2025. 

According to Jazeera Airways, it is planning to resume its flight from January 23.

Similarly, Qatar Airways operated flights as per schedule and has now suspended flights.

In the meantime, Air Asia is operating a weekly flight from Bangkok-Bhairahawa-Bangkok. 

Air Asia's scheduled flights are now on December 26 and January 2. 

According to Sagar Chitrakar, representative of Nepal GSA Universal for Air Asia, passengers in both directions on the Bangkok-Bhairahawa sector are gradually increasing.

Shahi of Fly Dubai said that the number of passengers flying from Dubai to Bhairahawa was good and the number of passengers going to Dubai is also increasing.

Fly Dubai has also planned to operate regular flights on Dubai-Bhairahawa-Kathmandu-Dubai route. 

Meanwhile, Kathmandu-Bhairahawa-Dubai flights of Nepal Airlines are also continuing four times a week, said Binod Singh Rawat, Information Officer at Gautam Buddha International Airport, Civil Aviation Authority Office, Bhairahawa.