Flights to Taplejung suspended as monsoon sets in

By Our Correspondent ,Phungling, June 28: Flights at Taplejung’s sole airport in Suketar have been suspended since the beginning of the monsoon (mid-June). 

The flights, which had resumed in the first week of April this year after a four-month closure, have not operated since June 13. 

According to Narayan Kumar Karki, Station In-charge of Nepal Airlines in Taplejung, scheduled flights on Mondays and Fridays have been halted due to poor visibility caused by dense fog and mist.

He informed that four scheduled flights have been affected since mid-June (start of Nepali month Asar). 

The onset of the rainy season has led to adverse weather conditions, making flights unsafe. Currently, Nepal Airlines operates the Kathmandu–Taplejung–Kathmandu route. On Friday's scheduled flight, three passengers had booked tickets to fly from Taplejung to Kathmandu and another three from Kathmandu to Taplejung. However, low visibility led to the cancellation of the flight, leaving passengers stranded.

The NAC also noted a decline in the number of passengers due to the irregularity of flights caused by weather and technical reasons. With no assurance of reaching their destinations even after securing a ticket, residents have increasingly resorted to long and arduous road travel.