NAC technical staff forced to fly daily from Kathmandu to Karnali

By Netra Shahi,Jumla, Dec. 22: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has been forcing its technical staff to travel daily from Kathmandu on operating flights to Karnali due to the absence of permanent technical postings in Surkhet, reducing passenger seat availability and increasing unnecessary operational costs.

Sources said that two technical staff, an aeronautical engineer and a technician, regularly fly from Kathmandu on the same aircraft to support NAC operations in Karnali Province. Their constant travel occupies passenger seats on every flight, directly affecting service users.

As a result, fewer seats are available for passengers, affecting costumers on every flight. The absence of approved staff positions in Surkhet and Nepalgunj has compelled these employees to spend entire days travelling on aircraft instead of being stationed locally. The technicians reportedly fly from Kathmandu, carry out refuelling and technical work in Surkhet, Nepalgunj and other districts, and then return to Kathmandu on the same aircraft. This cycle continues across Karnali-based flights.

Pradip Aryal, Chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) in Jumla, confirmed that due to the lack of designated posts, the technical staff are forced to commute by air between Kathmandu, Nepalgunj and Surkhet.

NAC’s Nepalgunj Chief, Yamraj Singh, informed that at least one technician must be present in Surkhet during aircraft refuelling, while an engineer is required in Nepalgunj for pre-flight inspections. He added that requests have already been made to establish permanent staff positions locally.

Because of this issue, passenger seats are being occupied by airline staff, and the airline is also spending extra amount on travel and accommodation unnecessarily.

Nepal Airlines Jumla Chief, Uma Kanta Adhikari, said that out of 19 seats available on flights from Jumla to Surkhet and Nepalgunj, only 16 or 17 are typically available to the general public. 

He explained that one airline staff member routinely travels for refuelling duties, while passenger numbers depend on fuel load requirements.

Currently, Nepal Airlines aircraft operate from Kathmandu via Rukum to Nepalgunj and then serve other Karnali districts. One engineer and one refuelling technician fly in from Kathmandu. The engineer remains in Nepalgunj, while the technician continues on the aircraft to Jumla and Surkhet for refuelling before returning via the same route. This process continues throughout the Karnali region.

Nepal Airlines Assistant Spokesperson Kalpana Kafle said the matter would be studied in detail before providing further information.

Meanwhile, passengers in Karnali and Sudurpashchim are facing increasing flight cancellations because Nepal Airlines’ Twin Otter aircraft are stationed overnight in Kathmandu instead of regional hubs.

Flights operating in Karnali are frequently cancelled after the aircraft fail to arrive on time from Kathmandu. While Nepalgunj and Surkhet are considered more suitable bases for servicing Jumla, Humla and Mugu, delays from Kathmandu often leave passengers stranded.

Flights scheduled for Thursdays and Sundays have reportedly been cancelled citing adverse weather conditions. However, passengers have complained that flights are being cancelled as early as 10 a.m., even though conditions could allow afternoon operations if aircraft were already positioned in Nepalgunj.

This week, flights to several Karnali districts were cancelled after the aircraft failed to depart from Kathmandu. Service seekers argue that the aircraft should stay overnight in Nepalgunj to ensure timely operations.  Raj Kumar Bishwokarma, Assistant Sub-Inspector at the National Human Rights Commission, said he faced difficulties after his Jumla–Surkhet flight ticket for Sunday was cancelled because of the aircraft being grounded in Kathmandu. 

He informed that if the aircraft had been stationed in Nepalgunj, flights could have been operated later in the day.

Passengers and airline staffs have criticised the practice of operating western region flights directly from Kathmandu, calling for immediate corrective measures. Nepal Airlines Nepalgunj Chief Singh said Sunday’s cancellation was due to adverse weather preventing the aircraft from arriving from Kathmandu. However, he noted that decisions regarding aircraft grounding overnight are made at the policy level. He also added that the absence of aircraft in Nepalgunj makes it difficult to guarantee ticket confirmations.

Jumla Chief Umakanta Adhikari said staff are frequently forced to apologise to ticketed passengers after repeated cancellations.