Kathmandu. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Khadak Raj Poudel, has claimed that the Suntharali Airport of Kalikot has not operated regular flights due to the low number of passengers.

In today’s meeting of the National Assembly, parliamentarian Bishnu Bahadur Bishwakarma raised a query regarding the operation of the airport, Minister Poudel clarified that regular flights could not be operated due to the ‘land factor’.

The airport was formally inaugurated on 14th Falgun 2080. The test flight was conducted from Tara Air for the first time on February 29, 2016.

Minister Poudel said that discussions were held in the presence of representatives of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Nepal Airlines, Tara Air, Sita Air, Summit Air and Kalikot for operating regular flights to the airport. Although Tara Air had agreed to operate regular flights two days a week, it could not be brought into operation due to lack of assurance of passengers.

“The flights will start if there is guarantee of regular passengers,” Minister Poudel said. There are 55 airports in Nepal. Of them, 34 airports are in operation. Most of the airports in hilly areas have not been able to operate due to lack of passengers. Minister Poudel said that the decrease in the number of passengers is due to migration and cheaper road facilities.