May 15 : The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has asked Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) to increase the current number of two daily flights to India to at least three.
The national flag carrier is presently conducting two regular flights daily to the southern neighbour that includes Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
If this direction is implemented, NAC will have to conduct at least 21 flights to India per week from the current 14 flights a week.
“On the one hand, the increase in the flight frequencies to India will help strengthen Nepal Airlines’ image in the international market. On the other, it will facilitate the inflow of foreign tourists in Nepal ahead of Visit Nepal 2020 tourism campaign,” say the ministry sources.
As a response to the ministry’s direction, Nepal Airlines is learnt to have started the process to increase the number of flights. However, due to the limited number of its aircraft, it is finding it tough to conduct three daily flights to India immediately.
The NAC last year acquired two wide-body aircraft with an aim to start flying to new destinations including Japan. But, unfortunately, it has not been able to fly to international destinations as per the set objective. This is also pushing the NAC to the brink of financial crisis.
