TAPLEJUNG: Taplejung’s Suketar Airport has remained non-operational for the past two weeks, with no flights taking off or landing since June 13 due to poor weather conditions.
Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), which had resumed flights at the airport in mid-April after a four-month pause, has been forced to cancel all scheduled operations since June 15. According to Narayan Kumar Karki, the NAC station in-charge at Taplejung, four scheduled flights have been cancelled so far because of low visibility and dense fog triggered by the monsoon.
“Adverse weather is one of the reasons behind the non-operation of flights. We are compelled to stop the flights due to safety reasons,” Karki explained.
The Kathmandu-Taplejung route, which typically sees flights on Mondays and Fridays, has been particularly impacted, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated. As flight cancellations become routine during the rainy season, the number of air travelers has dropped sharply.
With no reliable air service, locals and passengers are now forced to travel long distances via road, which is not only time-consuming but also challenging in hilly terrain and rainy conditions.
Frustrated by repeated flight disruptions, residents have called for dependable alternatives to air travel and more reliable transport infrastructure in the region.
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