During the country under the lockdown all the movements have been halted since almost a month. But some chartered flights are being permitted by the government. However, those chartered flights are said to be charging exorbitant fares.
Thus, taking into consideration reports of travel agencies charging huge extra fares for chartered flights, the Government of Nepal has allowed limited passenger flights to and from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
According to the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal, the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday took a decision to allow commercial flights to China, Qatar and Turkey effective June 1.
“Two weekly flights each have been allowed to and from China and Qatar (one for Nepali Airlines and another flight for their respective carriers), informed the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajan Pokhrel.
“Since there are no Nepali carriers flying to Turkey, one flight a week has been allowed to the country,” he said.
Currently, two weekly flights (one for Nepal Airlines and one for Air India) has been allowed on the Kathmandu-Delhi sector under the air bubble arrangement where Nepali and Indian citizens are allowed to travel following strict health safety protocols.
various countries have imposed a travel ban on Nepalis and have put Nepal on the list of “high risk” zones after the second wave of Covid-19 spread at an alarming level, exposing the country’s fragile health infrastructure.
Nepal has been in lockdown under prohibitory orders since April 29.
The government imposed a ban on all international flights, except two a week between Kathmandu and New Delhi, May 6 midnight.
But permitted a number of special flights as requested by Kathmandu based foreign missions to evacuate their citizens.
