Kathmandu-Tikapur regular flight resumes after 27 years

KATHMANU, DECEMBER 16: Tikapur Airport in Kailali, which had remained closed for regular operations since February 1997, officially resumed flight services yesterday.
Tara Air flight YT 1701, carrying 16 passengers, landed at Tikapur Airport at 1:44 PM, marking the beginning of regular flights to the region. The airport’s reopening was made possible through the efforts of Tikapur Municipality, in coordination with Tara Air and Yeti Airlines. Tikapur Airport originally launched operations on October 11, 1984.
According to Ram Lal Dagora Tharu, Mayor of Tikapur Municipality, Yeti Airlines will operate flights between Kathmandu and Nepalgunj, with connecting flights to Tikapur provided by Tara Air. The initiative involves active participation from local tourism businesses and other stakeholders.
Regular flights will operate every Sunday and Thursday on the Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Tikapur and Tikapur-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu routes. The municipality has signed an agreement with Tara Air to ensure a minimum of 15 seats per flight. Test flights had previously been conducted by Nepal Airlines and Tara Air.
The one-way fare for the Kathmandu-Tikapur flight is set at Rs 9,000. Mayor Dagora Tharu acknowledged the contributions of several individuals and organizations, including Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey and Minister of State Arun Kumar Chaudhary, for their roles in reopening the airport.
Minister Chaudhary expressed his commitment to improving Tikapur Airport, with plans to introduce direct flights between Kathmandu and Tikapur in the near future. He also thanked all parties involved in the airport’s reopening.
Pathil Holidays has been appointed as the authorized sales agent for Tikapur air tickets. Tickets are available at their outlets in Siddhartha Hotel, Tikapur, and Tinkune, Kathmandu, as well as through travel agencies.
The resumption of flight services is expected to benefit residents of nearby areas, including Kailali, Surkhet, and Bardiya, who previously relied on flights from Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj. While the runway is currently gravel-based, plans are underway to upgrade it as regular flights gain momentum.

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