KATHMANDU: At a time when the Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport has been criticized for its limited business, the Himalaya Airlines has started a chartered flight for Kuala Lumpur from the newly-constructed airport.

The Himalaya Airlines began the chartered flight after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) imposed a compulsory provision that the airlines companies daily operating three international flights from the Tribhuvan International Airport should run the service from Bhairahawa if the number of flights exceeds three.

Vice-chairperson of the Airlines, Bijaya Shrestha said the Himalaya Airlines would daily and regularly operate the chartered flight services. “Operation of chartered flight now is to sense the market situation. We will get into regular flight service in near future”.

Shrestha said the Airlines would also take the ownership of the Gautam Buddha International Airport as it was the national pride project having investment of entire Nepali people.

The Airport was eligible for operating flights in its probation time, he said now regular flights can be made to and from the airport.

CAAN director-general Pradeep Adhikari said the technical problems surfaced in the airport have been resolved so that international flight service can be operated from the airport.