Tikapur Airport resumes operations after 35 years

KATHMANDU: The Tikapur Airport, which has been closed since 2046 BS, will be resuming regular operations starting from Mangsir 30 (Dec 15).

The airport is being revived through the active efforts of the Tikapur Municipality, which has coordinated and collaborated with Tara Air and Yeti Airlines for this purpose.

Tikapur Municipality’s Mayor, Ram Lal Dagara Tharu, shared that the municipality has reached an agreement with Tara Air to ensure a minimum of 15 seats for flights, which will make it easier to conduct regular commercial flights in the future.

Recently, Nepal Airlines conducted a test flight, and Tara Air has also completed one commercial flight at the airport.

Tara Air’s spokesperson, Sudarshan Bartola, informed that the flight schedule currently includes departures on Sundays and Thursdays. If the demand for tickets increases, additional flights will be added.

He also mentioned that the one-way fare from Kathmandu to Tikapur is set at Rs 9,000, while the fare from Nepalgunj to Tikapur is Rs 4,500.

He confirmed that Tara Air will operate flights between Tikapur and Nepalgunj, while Yeti Airlines has coordinated regular flights to and from Kathmandu.

For the convenience of passengers, Tara Air will operate flights from Nepalgunj at 12:30 PM and from Tikapur to Nepalgunj at 1:20 PM.

Yeti Airlines’ flight schedule for Kathmandu-Nepalgunj is at 10:00 AM, and Nepalgunj-Kathmandu is at 2:05 PM.

Tickets for travel to and from Tikapur can be purchased via Yeti Airlines and Tara Air websites, sales offices, as well as through eSewa, Khalti, PhonePay, and at Siddhartha Hotel in Tikapur and Pathil Holiday in Kathmandu.

Currently, Tara Air operates regular and charter flights to various airports including Lukla, Phaplu, Ramechhap, Jomsom, Dolpa, Simikot, Bajura, and Jumla, using three Twin Otter aircraft.