Booking open for Kathmandu-Delhi flight in nine months

Kathmandu, Dec 13: The Kathmandu-Delhi flight will be starting again following the nine-month-long suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two neighbours will operate two daily flights each on the route. Governments of both countries have decided to resume the operation of regular flight along the Kathmandu- New Delhi destination under the ‘Air Transport Bubble Mechanism,’ the Embassy of India in Kathmandu said. Flight will be resumed from December 17.

Nepal’s national flag-carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation and India’s Air India will fly on the route. It was suspended since March 23 with the government decision to go for the nationwide lockdown to stem the virus spread. Though the government had resumed the international flight schedule from September 1, flights to three Indian destinations: New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore were not opened due to high infections rate in India. The Cabinet meeting on November 25 had agreed to accept the ‘Air Bubble Model’ proposed by India.

According to the press statement issued by the Indian Embassy, Nepal is all prepared to resume flights and has opened the booking system as per the‘Air Transport Bubble Concept.’ The Indian airlines company has also opened booking for Kathmandu from today.
Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Deputy Director Raj Kumar Chhetri said booking opened to operate two flights a day for the Kathmandu-Delhi destination from December 17. As the CAAN said, Nepal has now opened flights to all international destinations. As of today, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Thailand have not resumed flights to Nepal. A total of 29 airlines companies including three domestic ones make flights to 16 countries from Tribhuvan International Airport.