Ilam. The Falgunanda-Sukilumba airport in Ilam, which is directly connected to the tourism and economy of the district, has been deserted. The airport, which operated 33 flights in the fiscal year 2081/82, is now awaiting flights. The residents of Ilam municipality-9 have demanded regular flights at the airport.

Tara Air’s Twin Otter Jahaj had successfully conducted its first test flight on June 15, 2018. The people here had expected to fly to Zahad on a regular basis. After this, Nepal Airlines also made a successful test flight on February 1, 2018. In the absence of regular flights, the people of the eastern hilly region, including Ilam, are still forced to go to Jhapa or Biratnagar.

There has been no flight from this airport since May last year. Initially, Tara Air’s aircraft flew twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday. The municipality had signed an agreement to pay the fare if the seat of the aircraft was vacant while returning to Kathmandu from Ilam. After the agreement ended, the municipality again signed an agreement with Nepal Airlines and operated ilam-Kathmandu flight on the same schedule from January 1, 2019. Chief Administrative Officer Ganesh Kumar Khadka said that the municipality did not sign any agreement with any airline in the following year.

Chief Administrative Officer Khadka said, “In the past few years, the municipality had signed an agreement with Tara Air and Nepal Airlines to bear some amount. ’

Nepal Airlines has been operating flights once a week on Saturdays even after the agreement with the municipality expired. However, the airline has not been able to operate flights since June 1, 2018 due to the weather, said Dinesh Sundas, station in-charge of The Airport, Ilam. The airport has been deserted for the past three months.

Gopal Chauhan, ward chair of Ilam municipality-9, said they were working for regular operation of the airport. “Initiatives are being taken to operate the airport by raising the issue repeatedly in the meeting of the municipal executive,” he said, “But sometimes the aircraft broke down and sometimes due to the weather, there is no long-term solution for the regular operation of the airport.” ’

The process for the construction of the airport was started in 2058 BS with an area of 328 ropanis. The runway of 670 meters long and 20 meters wide of the airport has been blacktopped. However, permanent terminal buildings, paved access roads and secure fences are still incomplete. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), more than Rs 280 million has been spent so far for the construction of the airport. After the construction of the airport, the locals had given 1 to 42 ropanis of land per person. The then Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal had laid the foundation stone of the airport on March 1, 2007.