Flights from Nepalgunj Airport to Kathmandu, Pokhara, and other remote district sectors like Humla, Jumla, Rara, Dolpa have been suspended for the past two days due to poor visibility caused by thick fog in lower terai belts of the country. The Civil Aviation Office in Nepalgunj informed that flights could not operate since Saturday morning due to low visibility.
Although a visibility of 1,600 meters is required for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), flights are not being able to be operated because of only 700-800 meters of visibility around Nepalgunj Airport. After the suspension of flights, passengers are stranded at the airport, hoping for improved weather conditions to resume their journeys.
For a full visual operation with Visual Flight Rules (VFR) a visibility of 5000 meters is required in airport’s vicinity. A VFR flight has not been possible in Nepalgunj Airport since months after start of the winter. The flights from Nepalgunj can be affected for few more days if the thick fog continue to be formed in the Terai region of the country.
With flights suspended for two days, around a thousand passengers have been affected in Nepalgunj. Passengers traveling to Kathmandu for medical treatment are facing more difficulties.
Flights from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu include 3 from Buddha Air, 2 from Shree Air, and 1 from Yeti Airlines. Airlines like Nepal Airlines, Summit Air, Tara Air are operating flights from Nepalgunj to Mugu, Jumla, Humla, Dolpa, and Bajura.
