Flights from Nepal to China, Qatar, Turkey uncertain

Flights to China, Qatar and Turkey are uncertain at the moment. The government had earlier decided to allow flights to the three aforementioned nations from June 1.

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanubhakta Dhakal had on May 28 announced that the meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 27 had taken a decision to allow one flight a week to China, Qatar and Turkey.

Minister Dhakal had then said that the decision to allow the flights was taken to address the problems being faced by people in Nepal and abroad. He had also mentioned that the decision to allow flights to the aforementioned countries was taken also to put a halt to the various irregularities taking place due to the ban on international flights.

However, this decision to allow flights to China, Qatar and Turkey has not been forwarded to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal which is responsible for flight operations in Nepal.

It is not only about allowing flights to operate but there have to be preparations made before flights are allowed. And as per normal procedures, it takes nearly a week before everything is put into place for a flight to start operations.

Hence, even if the civil aviation authority receives the decision to allow those flights tonight, flights cannot be conducted for another one week.