Prime Minister to inaugurate Pokhara Regional International Airport on January 1

As the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) is all set for the grand opening of Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) in Pokhara, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will inaugurate the airport on Sunday.

Pokhara Metropolis has announced a public holiday on Sunday to mark the inauguration and operation of Regional International Airport as it is going to be formally operate on the first day of the Gregorian calendar 2023 AD, 

Except Prime Minister Dahal, deputy prime ministers Bishnu Paudel and Rabi Lamichhane, and top leaders of various political parties, industrialists and tourism professionals will take part in the opening ceremony, according to the CAAN.

The crew and passengers of the aircraft landing at the airport from the first flight in the morning will be welcomed with garlands, the CAAN has palnned.

From Sunday, all domestic flights will be operated from the new airport as Buddha, Yeti and Sourya Air have already conducted the test flight and completed preparations including office management to start flying from the new airport.

The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had laid the foundation of the airport on April 13, 2016, though it took yet another year to start construction. A Chinese company China CAMCE started the construction work one-and-a-half years after the foundation stone was laid. But the China CAMCE has handed over new airport to Nepal in the third week of last March, though only 93 per cent work was completed. The airport was handed over to Nepal on the occasion of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to Nepal.

Narrow-body aircraft including Airbus A-320 and Boeing 757-200 that has capacity to carry less than 200 passengers can take off and land at the airport, according to director of Pokhara Regional International Airport Bikram Gautam. "The aircraft, at present however, can only land from the east in the one-way approach airport."

The airport has parking lots that can accommodate 11 aircraft including three large and eight small ones. The runway of the airport is 2,500 meters and the width is 45 meters and the thickness of the runway is 34 cm, Gautam informed, adding that the airport has the capacity to handle 610 passengers per hour during peak hours. "There will be 18-hour daily flights to and from Pokhara International Airport beginning February 23."

Estimated to have cost around Rs 22 billion with concessional loan from China’s Export-Import (Exim) Bank, the airport has domestic and international terminal buildings spread over 14,000 sq meters of land. The China CAMCE has constructed the airport on EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) model.

Four decades ago, some 3,106 ropanis of land in wards 14, 15 and 18 in Pokhara was acquired to construct the airport. After the land was not enough, another 521 ropanis of land was acquired. But the construction was started by acquiring another 60 acres of land to build a 10 km road around the airport.

The airport that is expected to be a milestone in the promotion of tourism, also wants to convey the message to the world that Nepal is eager to welcome more tourists, , according to the chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, Pom Narayan Shrestha. Pokhara's direct connection with international cities will help promote Pokhara more, he said, adding that Pokhara is a major tourist destination and the tourism sector will benefit more with the operation of the airport. "The tourism sector affected by Covid-19 will get relief with the increase in tourist arrivals with the operation of the new airport."

Buddha Air plane lands safely in Kathmandu after technical glitch

 A Buddha Air aircraft with 73 passengers and four crew members did emergency landing safely after s technical glitch.

The pilot detected the technical glitch, while it was preparing to land at the Biratnagar airport, but returned to Kathmandu to make the emergency landing as its landing gear was reportedly not detected. The aircraft 9N-ANI with 73 passengers onboard including 68 adults, two children and three infants, had taken off for Biratnagar from Kathmandu, according to Buddha Air.

According to a press note issued by the Buddha Air, the pilot of flight U4 701 spotted a bug on the landing gear during the landing procedure, which was confirmed by the control tower, which prompted the captain to decide to return the flight to Kathmandu.

Two individual indicators, one for each gear, indicate the position of the landing gear. "The landing gear system did not deploy after the plane was preparing to land at Biratnagar airport and the pilot had to fly back to Kathmandu declaring emergency. The Kathmandu airport was closed for 30 minutes for emergency landing.

The jet safely landed at the TIA after circling the capital skies for more than an hour to reduce fuel use in accordance with safety requirements. According to safety norms, the aircraft had to burn fuel to reduce its landing weight. "The flight has two landing gear indicators, with the primary indication failing to show whether the landing gear has opened," the press note reads, adding that the secondary signal, on the other hand, had functioned properly and indicated that the landing gear had effectively opened. "Following the 'Zero Tolerance in Safety' policy, the captain decided to return the plane to Kathmandu."

The Captain apparently conducted a normal landing in TIA after the Budhha Air Technical staff confirmed that the issue with the landing gear has been resolved, the airliner said, apologising for the inconvenience caused to the travelers and their families.

It further expressed gratitude to all TIA staff and security personnel for their preparedness.

Buddha Air starts Pokhara-Nepalgunj direct flight

 Buddha Air has started a 'cross city' flight from Pokhara.

The direct flights from Pokhara to Nepalgunj has started from today, confirmed the private airliner.  The company had been planning to fly on Pokhara-Nepalgunj-Pokhara route from May 1 but was unable and postponed the schedule due to the prohibitory order. Buddha had earlier also planned to start flights from Pokhara to Biratnagar and Simara from May, the airliner said.

According to Pokhara station of Buddha Air, the airline will fly on Pokhara-Nepalgunj-Pokhara route three days a week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the first phase. "In the second phase, there is a plan to operate more than one flight a day, if passengers demand such flights."

According to the airlines, the flight will leave Pokhara for Nepalgunj at 9:10 AM. "There will be a flight from Nepalgunj to Pokhara at 10AM," it confirmed, adding that in the first phase, Beechcraft 1900D series aircraft with a capacity of 18 seats will fly on the route. "Pokhara-Nepalgunj flight is 35 minutes, and has three types of fares, Rs 7,635, Rs 5,535 and Rs 4,935."

Buddha Air forms internal probe panel to find out the cause of flight error

 Buddha Air has formed an internal investigation committee to find out the cause of flight error that occurred on Friday.

The private airline – issuing a press note – confirmed said that the committee has been formed to study the cause of the event of misinformation that led to an aircraft land at Pokhara instead of Janakpur. “We are alert to not let mistakes like that happen in the future,” the press note reads, adding that the airline will submit the report to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

A Buddha Air aircraft with passengers headed to Janakpur had landed at Pokhara Airport on Friday afternoon. After landing at the airport, the aircraft was loaded with fuel and allowed to fly to its original destination Janakpur via Kathmandu.

According to the airlines, all the passengers were safely brought to their original destination. However, the mistake has raised a serious air safety and security issue. 

Buddha Air to operate Biratnagar-Pokhara flights

Buddha Air is operating a transit flight from Biratnagar and Bhadrapur of Province 1 to Pokhara from January 1.
Chief Minister of Province 1 Sherdhan Rai – at a meeting today – announced that flights will operate from Biratnagar and Bhadrapur to Pokhara with transit in Kathmandu. Biratnagar is the capital of Province 1 whereas Bhadrapur is former headquarters of Jhapa district.
The inter-province flights were being initiated by Province 1, he said, adding that the flights will make travelling to Muktinath and other places easier for tourists from eastern Nepal and different Indian provinces. “Though there will be transit flights for the time being, there will be direct flights in the future.”
Rai also hoped these flights to contribute to the development of tourism sector.
Likewise, minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Jagadish Kusiyat – on the occasion – asked Buddha Air to operate direct flights. The tourists from Province 1 and different Indian cities want to visit Pokhara, Muktinath and other tourist destinations in huge numbers, he said, asking the airline to operate mountain flight from Biratnagar and regular flights from all airports of Province 1.
Tourism entrepreneurs also asked Buddha Air to start Biratnagar-Delhi flights as well to promote Visit Nepal Year 2020 (VNY2020).
The number of people travelling from Biratnagar to Delhi is huge and direct flight to the destination is possible, they said, adding that entrepreneurs and tourists travel to Delhi through Bagdogra International Airport currently.
On the occasion, managing director of Buddha Air Birendra Bahadur Basnet said that the Biratnagar-Pokhara transit flight is being operated as a test flight. Informing that the test flight will be operated for six months, he said that Buddha Air will take the responsibility of food and accommodation of the passengers travelling in the transit flight from Biratnagar and Bhadrapur, if the flight to Pokhara does not take off due to delay or bad weather. “Direct flight from Biratnagar to Pokhara will be operated only after 6 months of test flight.”
Buddha Air is also preparing to start transit flights to all provinces from Biratnagar.

Nepal Krishi, Bayer BioScience to pilot hybrid paddy seeds project

Nepal Krishi Company and Bayer BioScience of India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to begin a pilot project to use two hybrid paddy seeds this summer which have the potential to double productivity.
The use of hybrid seeds by farmers to grow paddy is insignificant compared to 90 per cent for vegetable cultivation, they claimed.
Morang-based Nepal Krishi Company, which is working with farmers’ groups for commercial production of cereal crops, will be using Arize 6444 Gold and Arize Idea hybrids as per the agreement.
Likewise, managing director of Buddha Air Birendra Bahadur Basnet, who is also a board member of Nepal Krishi Company, said that he is amazed by the productivity when Arize 6444 Gold was tested in the field last year. “We will see the result, the actual cost of production and productivity, of the hybrid varieties after four months,” he said, adding that the paddy planting season in Nepal normally begins in June. “It’s not only using hybrid seeds but also bringing advanced paddy cultivation technology to Nepal.”
Nepal Krishi Company will be piloting these hybrid varieties on 70 bighas of land by distributing 100 kg of seeds to farmers. There will be a demonstration plot of 20 bighas – known as centre for excellence –  where paddy will be cultivated with the latest technology and tools, the company said.
According to business unit head of Bayer BioScience Surendra Prajapati, these hybrid seeds are free from ‘bacterial leaf blight’ disease that causes yield losses in the range of 20 per cent to 60 per cent annually.
The disease can afflict rice plants in any of the growing stages and cause visible wilting of the seedlings and yellowing and drying of the leaves. Nearly 33 rice seedlings of these varieties should be transplanted in a one square metre area. “They are stress tolerant as well,” he said.
Prajapati said that Arize 6444 Gold is India’s highest selling hybrid rice seed and 20,000 tonnes of this variety are sowed across Asia. The ideal harvest time is between 135 and 140 days after planting. “In Uttar Pradesh, the maximum productivity of this variety was recorded at 13.7 tonnes per hectare,” he said, adding that a multi-location testing of these two varieties was conducted before being registered by the Nepal Agricultural Research Council.
According to Prajapati, the productivity of Arize 6444 Gold was recorded at 8-tonne per hectare in Kapilvastu. Arize Idea is a short slender grain or fine rice having ‘excellent’ cooking quality, the company said. The ideal harvest time is between 125 and 130 days after planting, and it yields 20 per cent to 25 per cent more grain that other varieties.
Likewise, senior scientist and Nepal representative of the International Rice Research Institute Krishna Dev Joshi said that Nepal would benefit greatly if hybrid paddy seeds are produced in Nepal. “There are only a few hybrid seeds of paddy registered in Nepal, as a result, farmers are bringing them through the porous border with India,” he said, adding that as productivity is double, more and more farmers are being attracted towards hybrid varieties. “The government should promote the production of hybrids in Nepal to increase production in order to feed the growing population.”
Hybrids have a higher yielding ability of 15 per cent to 25 per cent compared to open pollinated varieties, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. “For this reason, there is an increasing trend of using hybrids among farmers.” The first hybrid variety officially released in Nepal was maize (Gaurav) in 2004. However, it was not successful due to the non-synchronisation nature of inbred lines.
A hybrid variety of tomato (Srijana) was registered in 2010. Recently, hybrid maize and paddy seeds are also increasingly becoming popular among farmers in the Tarai and lower hills. Many of them are imported, the ministry said.
The government’s National Seed Vision 2013-25 has envisaged developing and promoting 40 hybrids – 20 vegetable hybrid seeds, 12 maize hybrids and eight paddy hybrids – by 2025 to meet the growing domestic demand and also as an import substitution measure. The private sector too is expected to develop and promote 20 hybrids, 10 vegetable, five maize and five paddy hybrids.

Domestic airline companies issue travel alert for passengers

Domestic airlines today issued a travel alert as the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will remain shut for 10 hours from tomorrow evening for runway rehabilitation and expansion work. The only international airport that also houses the domestic one will remain closed from 10pm to 8am every day for 45 days till June 30 for maintenance. Based on a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the TIA, the domestic airline companies have issued a travel alert about the changes in their flight schedule for the convenience of the passengers.
Due to NOTAM, Yeti Airlines and Tara Air – owned by the same group – reduced some 13 flights a day including six mountain flights in the morning. "Apart from mountain flights, one regular flight to Bhairahawa, Tumlingtar and Bharatpur each has also been reduced till the next notice is issued," the airliner stated a press note. "Likewise, two flights to each to Bharatpur and Pokhara have also been reduced from the regular schedule."
Likewise, Buddha Air also issued a travel alert last week – on March 26 – revising the time schedule for flights. "Currently we are not planning to reduce the number of regular flights," marketing director of Buddha Air Rupesh Joshi said, adding that they will not cut down the flight numbers, if rescheduling flights help maintain the schedule. "If necessary, we will also reduce few flights, though we are trying to reschedule as much flights."
Simrik Air has also already issued its travel alert – a month back – cancelling its pre-booked flights to Lukla.
Meanwhile, almost all mountain flights from Kathmandu have been cancelled for the coming 45 days, whereas all flights to Lukla airport from TIA have been diverted to the Manthali airport of Ramechhap.
The TIA’s runway was built in 1975. Though, according to international practice, runways of international airports should be refurbished with new bitumen every 10 years, the TIA has never done that. A Chinese company – China National Aero Technology International Engineering Corporation – is working on the project.

Buddha Air begins Kathmandu-Varanasi scheduled flight

Domestic private air carrier Buddha Air today started scheduled commercial flights on Kathmandu- Varanasi-Kathmandu route to cash in on growing religious tourism between Nepal and India. The airliner has been operating chartered passenger services on the sector since 2012.
Varanasi – in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh – is a holy city for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. The Kathmandu-Varanasi-Kathmandu flights will be operated twice weekly, on Fridays and Mondays.
Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari flagged off the flight today at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). "We also have to focus cross-border flights to other Indian states to increase India footfalls in Nepal,” Adhikari said, adding that the airports in the bordering areas will be upgraded to international standards.
"The government has announced Visit Nepal 2020 with the aim of attracting 2 million tourists," the minister said, adding, "such initiative will help to realise the government’s goal."
"The plan to conduct scheduled flights is to promote religious tourism as the number of pilgrims has been growing," informed managing director of Buddha Air Birendra Bahadur Basnet. "The direct flight connectivity is not only to bring Indian pilgrims to Nepal but also to provide affordable packages for Nepalis going for a holy tour," he added.
Buddha Air will be operating a 45-seater ATR aircraft for the 50 minutes flight.
Buddha Air has also developed three different packages – Varanasi-Sarnath package at Rs 32,500, Varanasi-Bodh Gaya package at Rs 34,000 and Varanasi-Allahabad-Ayodhya package at Rs 41,500, according to the airliner.

Buddha Air adds third ATR aircraft

Buddha Air, today, imported another ATR 72-500 aircraft to enhance its services.

"Now, the private domestic airlines has three ATR 72s, three ATR 42s and three B1900D pressurised aircraft making it a total of nine aircraft in its fleet,” according to the airlines.

With the new addition, the airlines is projecting its share in the domestic market to increase from the current 67 per cent to 75 per cent in the pressurised turboprop segment.

"However, we will not add any new destination with the additional ATR 72,” it said, adding that it will now be better positioned to create a more on-time dispatch with the additional aircraft. "Earlier, we had been facing sporadic flight delays due to over congestion at Tribhuwan International Airport. That problem will be resolved from now onwards," it claimed.

The airlines will also start operating daily flights to Dhangadi from this Thursday with ATR 72s instead of ATR 42s.

IFC provides loan to Buddha Air

International Finance Corporation (IFC) — a member of the World Bank Group — is providing a loan of $6.9 million to Buddha Air to help the airline offer improved air travel connectivity in Nepal.

IFC’s loan will enable Buddha Air to purchase a second ATR 72 aircraft, strengthening the company’s operations in the country, according to IFC, the lending arm of the World Bank.

"Improved air services mean more options for tourists, and better connectivity for the population," it said, adding that the airline serves 10 domestic destinations.

"IFC’s second investment in Buddha Air will help us consolidate our services in the region,” said managing director of Buddha Air Birendra Basnet.

Improving air travel is essential for better domestic and international connectivity in Nepal because of the country’s mountainous terrain.

IFC provided a loan of $10 million in 2008 to Buddha Air to purchase two ATR-42 aircraft and to construct a closed-door hangar at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu.

"Addressing the huge demand for infrastructure in Nepal is a strategic priority for IFC,” said IFC’s Asia Director for Infrastructure and Natural Resources Anita George. "Our repeat investment in Buddha Air will help the company offer more travel options and reduce travel time for the citizens of Nepal."

Incorporated in Nepal in 1996, Buddha Air operates domestic passenger flights between Kathmandu and the other regional airports. It also runs sightseeing flights to Mt Everest, offering an on board view of the world’s highest peak.

Similarly, the IFC is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. It helps developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilising capital in the international financial markets.

In 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, IFC helped its clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities — all while driving the investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion.

Airlines to increase fuel surcharge

With the increment of petroleum prices, private airlines operators are also increasing fuel surcharge making the air travel costlier from March 1.
Though, the Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) is taking the formal decision tomorrow, the increment — Rs 60 in the shortest route and Rs 150 in the longest route — will be effective from March 1, according to the association.
"The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has mandated the private airliners to automatically adjust the fuel surcharge with an increase or decrease of Air Turbine Fuel (ATF)," said executive marketing manager of Buddha Air Rupesh Joshi.
The state oil monopoly has increased Rs 4 for a litre of ATF making it Rs 109 per litre yesterday forcing the airlines to increase the fuel surcharge that will hike the airfare again within a month.
"According to the regulations, airlines can revise fuel surcharge when ATF price is increased or decreased by more than Rs 4 per litre," he said, adding that the fuel surcharge is calculated automatically with price revision of ATF every time.But, CAAN reviews airfare every two years on the basis of inflation rate, fuel price and maintenance cost.
The domestic airlines had on January 21 increased the fuel surcharge by Rs 55 to Rs 200 following the price-hike in ATF. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) had increased Rs 5 per liter in a litre of ATF on January 18 making it to Rs 105 per litre.
There are some half dozen domestic private airlines including Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Guna Air and Agni Air flying on the domestic routes, apart from the new airlines Blues Air that got Airlines Operating Certificate (AOC) last week.
The government opened the sky after the 1990 movement giving space for the private sector to operate airlines apart from the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) which is operating on the international routes too. The government has encouraged private airliners to fly on the international route as the ailing national flag carrier could not operate its flights on all the routes that the country already has agreement with.

Buddha Air to fly to Varanasi from March 1

Buddha Air is starting its Kathmandu-Varanasi flight from March 1 and Kolkata from September.
"We are starting flights to Varanasi from March 1, whereas we are also preparing to start Kolkata flight as our next destination this year during September,” said marketing chief at Buddha Air Rupesh Joshi.
Buddha Air will operate weekly four flight to Varanasi, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. "We have targeted both Nepali and Indian tourists willing to visit the religious place of both the countries,” Joshi added.
The airlines will fly at three in the afternoon to Varanasi with opening airfare of Rs 5,031.
"Our primary focus is to make successful operations of international flights," he said, adding that they are more focused on quality service than business.
Buddha Air has, however, suspended its flight to Lucknow in India currently due to offseason, while it is operating charter flights to Paro in Bhutan
“We are also requesting for route permission for Lucknow from Pokhara and are hopeful that we will be able to operate our flights from Pokhara within next two months,” he informed.
Buddha Air will operates ATR-42 (47 seater) and ATR-72 (70 seater) to Varanasi, according to the number of passenger. The airlines operates Deech1900 D (18 seater) for domestic flights.

Hike in fuel surcharge pushes airfare up

Domestic airlines are increasing fuel surcharge that will increase the airfare by Rs 55 to Rs 200 following the price-hike in air turbine fuel (ATF).
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased Rs 5 per liter in ATF on Wednesday, taking the ATF price to Rs 105 per liter. With this, the ATF price has increased by Rs 50 per liter in two years. Domestic airlines had increased the fuel surcharge up to Rs 775 following the increment of Rs 10 per liter in May last year.
Largest domestic airline Buddha Air has announced new airfare, which will be effective from Saturday whereas other airlines including Yeti, Guna and Agni are preparing to hike the airfare shortly.
“With the increment in ATF, fuel surcharge will increase in the range of Rs 60 to Rs 200,” executive marketing manager of Buddha Air Rupesh Joshi said.
However, another domestic player Yeti Airlines has not yet decided anything on increasing airfare so far. Agni Air and Guna Air officials are increasing their new airfare effective from Monday.
According to the regulations, airlines can increase fuel surcharge when ATF price is increased by more than Rs 4 per litre. Similarly, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) reviews airfare every two years on the basis of inflation rate, fuel price and maintenance cost.

IndiGo starts Kathmandu flight from today

The healthy growth of Indian tourists to Nepal has attracted more Indian airlines to Nepal.
With seven flights daily, IndiGo Airlines has started New-Delhi-Kathmandu flight from Friday making it the sixth Indian private airliner to fly to Kathmandu.Speaking on the inaugural flight, Aditya Ghosh, president IndiGo said that Kathmandu is a key market and holds a lot of promise. “IndiGo will continue to keep its promise of providing low fares on the New Delhi-Kathmandu-New Delhi routes as well," he said, adding that the airlines hopes to provide the much needed avenue for countless Indians to explore wider horizons and at the same time open up the doors to more and more overseas travellers to experience India.
Currently, Air India, Jet Airlines, Jet lite, Spice Jet, Kingfisher and Indigo fly on New-Delhi-Kathmandu route with a total of 78 flights a week.
"Private Indian airlines have explored Nepal as new destination,” said director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Ram Prasad Neupane.
"The increase in the number of Indian airlines flying to Kathmandu has also encouraged the sector," he added.
According to him, India and China has large market access and they have strong economy. "Increase in the number of airlines from these countries can bring a large number of quality tourist to Nepal," he said, adding that the movement of Indian tourist has always been in an increasing trend.
"In an average, Indian tourists contribute to 30 per cent of the total international tourist arrival through airways,” said Neupane.
"According to Air Service Agreement (ASA) between Nepal and India, different Indian airlines can have 30,000 flights a week,” according to joint secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Ranjan Krishna Aryal.
Therefore, more private Indian airlines can start their flights to Kathmandu with the recommendation of Indian government and technical specifications to Nepal, he added.
Including six Indian airlines and two Nepali airlines — Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) and Buddha Air — some 28 different international airlines fly to Nepal like Air Arabia, Arke Fly, Baharain, Biman Bangladesh, China Eastern, China Southern, Dragon Air, Fly Dubai, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Korean Air, Oman Air, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Qatar Airways, Druk Air, Silk Air, Thai International Airways, United Airways and GMG Airlines.

The frequency
Airlines — Destinations — No of flights in a week
Air India — Delhi — 14
Air India — Kolkata — 4
Air India — Mumbai — 4
Jet Airways — Delhi — 14
Jet Airways — Mumbai — 7
Jet lite — Delhi — 7
Kingfisher — Delhi — 7
Spice Jet — Delhi — 14
Indigo — Delhi — 7
Total flights — 78
(Source: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal)

Buddha goes to Banaras

Budhha Air will be adding another international destination on its roster with the flight to holy city of Banaras.
The domestic private airlines is all set to start the flights to Banaras starting from March 1, 2012. "Buddha Air will be flying to Banaras four times a week — on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays," according to the airlines that currently operates to nine destinations inside Nepal from the capital Kathmandu and one international flight to city of Lucknow in India.
With its fleet of nine aircrafts including Beechcrafts and ATRs Buddha Air is determined to extend its network to more Indian cities in future, it said, adding that after 13 years in domestic sky, the airlines started its first international flight from Kathmandu to Paro, Bhutan, in August 2010.
The airline has suspended its flights to Bhutan since February due to drop in passengers. In January 2011, the airliner started the operation of flights to Indian city of Lucknow. The airlines operates three flights a week to Lucknow.Earlier, Necon Air, Cosmic Air and Air Nepal used to fly to Indian cities and abroad but all these airlines failed to continue the international flights but Buddha Air has been spreading its wings slowly but steadily.
Currently, after the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation, Buddha Air is the only airlines that is flying to an international destination.
Buddha is also planning to introduce flights to other Indian cities like Guwahati, Kolkata, Patna, Banaras, Gorakhpur and Deharadun soon, said the airlines.

Buddha Air brings another ATR 72

Buddha Air has brought a new 72-seater ATR -72-500 aircraft today.
"The new aircraft has landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport today,” the airlines said, adding that Buddha Air now has a total of nine aircrafts in its fleet.
The aircraft — manufactured in France — will start internal flights including Biratnagar, Bhadrapur, Nepalgunj and Bhairahawa route soon. "The new aircraft is safe and luxurious for journey," the company claimed.
With the addition of new ATR-72-500, Budhdha Air now owns four Beechcraft 1900D and three ATR 42 – 320 and two ATR 72-500 aircraft in its fleet of modern aircrafts.
The $30 million private airliner flies to nine destinations from Kathmandu in the country and two international destinations Bhutan and Lucknow, India.
It has weekly three flights to Lucknow, whereas its Bhutan flies have been suspended for a while.
The airliners that had started its flight on October 11, 1997 with a BHA 100 board the Beech craft 1900 D has come a long way in the last almost one-and-a-half decade to have ATR 72-500 manufactured by Alenia Aeronotica.

Buddha Air to fly to Tumlingtar

Buddha Air will be starting regular flights to Tumlingtar from Sunday.
The airlines has even conducted a successful test flight on the route on its Beech 1900 ‘D’ aircraft, the private airliner said.
Buddha Air will operate two 30 minutes flights daily three days a week from Kathmandu. From Biratnagar the airline will operate three 20 minutes flights daily, it added.
Buddha Air currently flies on nine destinations in the country with a fleet of world’s best aircrafts in operation with four 18 seat Beechcraft-1900 D, three 47 seat ATR-42 and one 72 seat ATR 72-500 flying out currently.

Domestic airfare goes up

The domestic air travel is going to be expensive by Rs 250 to Rs 500 from Wednesday in all sectors.
"Though the government permitted us to increase airfare from February 13, we are increasing the airfare effective from Wednesday," said Rupesh Joshi, marketing manager of Buddha Air.The airlines were asking the government to let them increase airfare as it has been five years that they have not revised the airfares. "Though, airfares are revised every two years, this time it is being done after five years," he said, adding that the airlines have increased the fares to only 33 per cent from what the government permitted.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has on the basis of the inflation rate of the last five years, permitted the airlines to hike the airfare. Generally, every two years, the airfare has been revised based on the increasing price in the market.
The government had formed a committee to revise the airfare in November, 2010 and the committee had submitted its report to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in December suggesting the airfare hike.
The Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has requested the government to revise airfare upward due to rise in Air Turbine Fuel (ATF), insurance fee, lease tax, VAT, renewal fee in the last five year.However, the operators have adjusted the minimum airfare and fuel surcharge to increase in the total fare.
Earlier in December too, the airlines operators had hiked the additional fuel surcharge by Rs 60 to Rs 80 according to the distance, citing the reason of the hike in ATF price.
Meanwhile, the chopper companies have also made their fares uniform by making it $2,500 in tourist season and $2,200 in off-season. "Though some light helicopters were charging $1,880 earlier, others were already charging $2,500 in tourist season and $2,200 in off-season," said Bikash Rana, chairman of Fishtail Air -- a helicopter charter company operating within Nepal based in Kathmandu. "The uniform fare will be effective from March 1," he added.

Buddha Air starts flying Kathmandu-Lucknow

Buddha Air's maiden flight that is expected to hugely support the national campaign of bringing one million tourists this year, to Lucknow took off today.
"Buddha Air is flying with its 47-seater ATR-42 aircraft on Kathmandu-Lucknow-Kathmandu route from today,” said Birendra Bahadur Basnet, managing director of the Buddha Air.
“It is flying every Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Lucknow," he said, adding that the three scheduled flights every week on the Kathmandu-Lucknow-Kathmandu route will help ease the pressure of the air travellers as Lucknow has a very good connectivity to other Indian cities. "The fare ranges from Rs 5,600 to Rs 10,400 for class A, B, C and Y class."
Lucknow is the second international flight of the Buddha Air that has already started flying to Paro, Bhutan.
Air traffic between India and Nepal is growing at 13 per cent to 14 per cent a year, according to the latest figures. The tourist arrivals data reveals that the Indian tourist arrivals increased by 19.5 per cent in December.
Earlier, Buddha Air was planning to start Pokhara-Lucknow flight as part of its cross-border commercial scheduled operation but due to technical reasons, it could not start the flight on the route. "Instead of Pokhara-Lucknow route, we have started the Kathmandu-Lucknow route,” Basnet added.
By March, the airlines that has an asset of $30 million is planning to start flights to Kolkata as it has got permission to operate flights to four Indian cities -- Lucknow, Kolkata, Varanasi and Patna by the Indian authorities.
It also has plans to fly to other Indian cities like Guwahati, Gorakhpur and Deharadun.
Meanwhile, Buddha Air is also planning Pokhara-New Delhi flight as part of its cross-border commercial scheduled operation to the various Indian cities.
The national flag carrier Nepal Airlines operates flights to New Delhi but could not continue its flights due to lack of aircraft as it has only two age-old Boeing 757s and faces maintenance problems most of the time.
Budget airline Cosmic Air, which had started flights to Delhi and Kolkata and triggered a price war in 2005, grounded due to a fund crunch.
One of the largest private airliners in the country, Buddha Air owns a fleet of five just off the factory Beechcraft 1900D and three ATR 42 – 320 (Avions de Transport Régional or Aerei da Trasporto Regionale). It has recently added one 70-seat ATR 72-500 known to be the best aircraft with turbo-prop engines. The airline flies to nine destinations in the country.

Buddha Air Plans Pokhara-New Delhi flight

Buddha Air is planning Pokhara-New Delhi flight as part of its cross-border commercial scheduled operation to the varous Indian cities.
"The airliner has also been waiting for the approval for the Pokhara-Lucknow air route via Gorakhpur," it said, adding that the planned flight on Pokhara-Lucknow route will take a little more time as Buddha Air still has to get approval for the air route.
One of the largest private domestic airliners said that instead of Pokhara-Gorakhpur flight, it is starting Kathmandu-Lucknow flight from January 7.
Under the revised Air Service Agreement (ASA) between Nepal and India, Nepali airlines can operate flights from 21 points -- including three new points – Dehradun, Gorakhpur and Bagdogra – for Nepal, while the Indian airlines can operate flights in Pokhara, Lumbini, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Janakpur, Dhangadhi and Bhairahawa.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the revision of bilateral Air Service Agreement and a technical accord signed in New Delhi on September 10 facilitates five-fold increase in air seats between the two South Asian neighbours. The MoU also facilitates Nepal to operate flights to Indian cities like Goa, Amritsar and Kochi.
Buddha Air's flight to the Indian city of Lucknow will be its second international flight after Paro, Bhutan.
"Buddha Air is flying every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday to Lucknow," according to the airliner. "The three scheduled flights every week on the Kathmandu-Lucknow-Kathmandu route will help ease the pressure of the air travellers as Lucknow has a very good connectivity to other Indian cities."
Buddha Air -- that is flying its 47-seater ATR-42 aircraft to Lucknow in the begining -- is also planning to add flights to other Indian cities like Guwahati, Kolkata, Patna, Banaras, Gorakhpur and Deharadun soon.