Proving flight successfully completed at Resunga Airport (photos included)

KATHMANDU: Tara Air’s proving flight at Resunga Airport was completed successfully in collaboration with the Resunga Municipality of Gulmi.

9N-ALO Tara Air’s TwinOtter-400 aircraft took off from Tribhuvan International Airport at 11:14 a.m. on Sunday and landed at Resunga Airport in Simichaur, Resunga Municipality-10, Gulmi.

Tara Air had already conducted a test flight on June 8, 2018.

Sudarshan Bertaula, Tara Air’s spokesperson, stated that the aircraft was flown by Tara Air’s senior pilots, Captain Santosh Kumar Shah and Captain Sanjib Shrestha.

According to him, elected MP Chandra Bhandari from Gulmi District, UML Deputy Secretary General Pradeep Gyawali, State Assembly Member Dhanendra Bahadur Karki, CPN (Unified Socialist Party) Secretary Ram Kumari Jhankri, political personalities including Resunga Municipality Chief Khildhwaj Panthi, and Tara Air and Nepal Civil Aviation Authority officials were on the aircraft.

The Mayor of Resunga Municipality and other officials greeted everyone who arrived from the flight with flower garlands.

According to spokesperson Sudarshan Bertaula, once the proving flight is completed on Sunday, the process of regular flight will begin. It will take at least 2 to 3 weeks for regular flights. Tara Air will initially fly to this airport in collaboration with Resunga Municipality.

Difficult to schedule remote flights

Flights in remote areas are always irregular due to the lack of any kind of incentive from the state to airline companies that fly in these areas.

Flights in these areas have become more expensive due to the high cost of air fuel, a lack of two-way passengers, the situation of having to return before reaching the destination due to rapid weather changes, and the lack of any kind of government concession, putting a financial burden on both passengers and airlines.

Some airports built in remote areas are not fully equipped with physical infrastructure, increasing the safety risk due to a lack of necessary navigation equipment, passenger terminal buildings, and fences that should be in the airport, as well as a lack of modern equipment to inform the weather of the airport and in-route, there is a situation of having to fly risky due to a lack of sufficient information for the flight.

Flights in remote areas will remain closed indefinitely unless the state develops a short- and long-term plan to regularize them.