Kotbada Airport to see Commercial flights after 38 years

Kalikot’s Kotbada Airport is set to welcome regular commercial flights scheduled to operate from the airport after 38 years. Regular commercial flights are set to operate from the airport starting Monday.

According to Ganendra Bhul, the information officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), preparations are underway for Tara Air to operate regular and charter flights from Surkhet. A Tara Air Twin Otter aircraft that took off from Nepalgunj under command of Capt. Pawan Singh successfully made a proving flight today’s morning at the airport.

“Tara Air has conducted a test flight today. Tomorrow, Tara Air and Nepal Airlines Corporation’s Twin Otter aircraft will be landing at this airport,” he said, “Tara’s commercial flights will operate, and the corporation has obtained permission for chartered flights.”

Nepal Airlines Twin Otter ‘9N-ABU’ also conducted a successful flight from Surkhet to Kotbada Airport today at 11:20 AM with flight number RA-755.

According to him, Tara Air has conducted a proving flight from Nepalgunj to Kalikot. The flight duration between Nepalgunj and Kalikot is 27 minutes. No commercial flight had taken place for a very long time and only recently blacktopping was done in the runway. Nepal Army used to operate from the graveled runway during the insurgency phase from this airport.

Previously, on Magh 29, 2073 (February 11, 2017), Tara Air conducted a test flight at this airport under the leadership of the then Minister for Tourism, Jeevan Bahadur Shahi. The blacktopping of the runway was done in Paush 2079 BS before which the runway was graveled.

The airport located in Narharinath Rural Municipality, Kotbada of Kalikot and is near to Bajura Kolti Airport. The runway has a length of 700 meters and a width of 48 meters. Authorities have informed that Twin Otter and Let 410 aircraft can operate flights from the airport. Additionally, Nepal Army STOL aircraft can also operate in the airport.