E-Kantipur

POKHARA, NOV 19 - Political parties and entrepreneurs of Pokhara have formed a committee to pressure the government to expand the infrastructure at Pokhara airport required to operate flights to Lucknow.

A meeting of the political parties, tourism entrepreneurs and the local adminstration have formed a nine-member committee under the convenership of Ananda Raj Mulmi, ex-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

The committee has urged the government not to delay the policy-level decisions and expansion of airport infrastructure. "International flights from Pokhara have become a concern of the entire western region as it would help Pokhara to become a tourist hub," said Ananda Raj Mulmi at a press meet on Wednesday.

"We've joined together to influence the government in order to start international flights from this season."  The committee is going to Kathmandu next Monday.

Buddha Air has applied for permission to start direct flights from Pokhara to Lucknow. Buddha is planning to initiate service from March 1. According to Birendra Basnet, managing director of Buddha Air, it will be using an ATR 42 for the Lucknow flight initially. "We also plan to start flights to Dehradun and New Delhi," said Basnet.

The committee has demanded that work be started to establish security, immigration, customs and quarantine facilities required for international flights. It has requested the government not to change the landing, parking, navigation and ground handling charges at Pokhara airport in order to keep costs to the minimum.

The tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara have said that international flights from Pokhara would not only benefit Indian tourists but Nepalis also. As of now, Pokhara airport has a 4700-foot-long runway and handles 80-100 flights daily. A new air service agreement signed between Nepal and India in the second week of September had opened the way to start cross-border flights between Nepal and India.

The new accord, apart from allowing each other's airlines to carry up to 30,000 passengers weekly, has permitted airlines of both countries to operate cross-border flights from regional airports including Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi in Nepal, and Varanasi, Patna, Gaya and Lucknow in India. Buddha will be the first domestic airline to utilise the new agreement.

Posted on: 2009-11-19 08:34

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