Taplejung. Taplejung: Flight operations at Suketar Airport, the only air service in Taplejung, have come to a standstill.

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), which resumed its operations in the last week of March after a four-month-long shutdown, has not been able to operate even once since June 15. According to NAC’s Taplejung station in-charge Narayan Kumar Karki, four flights have been affected since Mid-June due to fog and low visibility with the onset of monsoon.

Kathmandu- Taplejung flights, which are regular every Monday and Friday, have been continuously canceled. In-charge Karki said, “There is no condition for the aircraft to land as the weather is adverse. Due to poor visibility, the flight had to be stopped for safety reasons. ’

On Friday, three passengers each took tickets on Taplejung-Kathmandu and Kathmandu-Taplejung flights. However, the flight was cancelled as the weather did not improve. The number of passengers travelling to the district has been decreasing due to lack of regular flights. Passengers have been forced to travel long distances on vehicles as they do not believe that they can reach the destination even with tickets.

Passengers have been demanding alternative and reliable transportation as the problem of frequent flight disruptions during the rainy season has been repeated. As air service is like a lifeline in the remote geography of Taplejung, a long-term strategy is needed to solve such problems.