Flights to Gulmi reduced to three times a week

GULMI: Air services at Resunga Airport in Gulmi will now operate only three times a week, the Nepal Air Service Corporation has announced.

Previously, flights were scheduled four times weekly, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but the new timetable will run only on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, according to Suman Thapa, Station Chief of Resunga Airport.

Thapa explained that the reduction is due to the limited number of Twin Otter aircraft, currently only three, and the periodic maintenance these planes require. Despite this, flights have generally operated regularly over the past three months, except during the rainy season when adverse weather sometimes disrupts schedules.

The 18-seat Twin Otter flights depart Kathmandu at 6:30 AM and return from Resunga at 7:30 AM. Ticket fares are set at Rs. 7,500 from Kathmandu to Gulmi and Rs. 7,300 for the return journey. Afternoon flights are not feasible due to high air pressure at Resunga Airport, so operations are restricted to the morning.

Since the introduction of air services on 29th Baisakh 2080, the district has seen a rise in domestic and foreign tourists, and local residents can now reach Kathmandu in just 45 minutes instead of the previous 18-hour journey by road.

However, the new reduced flight schedule is expected to inconvenience passengers, despite the growing demand for air travel in the region.