Nepal will Resume Domestic and International Flight Operations Starting from August 17:
With the government's decision to operate domestic and international flights from August 17, domestic airlines are preparing for all kinds of safe flights.
Airlines are practicing all the procedures of health safety standards to operate safe air services to avoid COVID-19 infection. Leading private airline providers Buddha Air, Yeti Air, Shree Airlines, and others are continuing to practice the standards of health protocols to make domestic flights safe and reliable.
For the past two months, Buddha and Yeti have been conducting demonstration flights for passengers on how to fly safely from the COVID-19 epidemic. The company has stated that practice flights are being conducted twice a year. Air travelers will have to use mandatory masks, face shields, and sanitizers. Masks and sanitizers will be provided by the company while FaceShield will charge the company.
Yograj Kandel Sharma, the spokesperson of the Airline Operators Association, said that the airline was preparing to operate the service with the required health standards. He said the risk of an epidemic would be reduced if the airline company drafted the protocol and the airline staff and passengers followed it effectively.
Airlines are also preparing to provide safe flight services by adopting health precautions. They have also conducted practice flights for their staff and passengers on how to fly safely in the face of the epidemic. Managing Director of Buddha Air, Birendra Bahadur Basnet, said that the company is ready to start the service by adopting the necessary health safety measures to make the airspace affected by the Kovid epidemic operational.
Stating that the government's decision to open flights after a long time has raised new hopes in the tourism sector, he mentioned that the service will be resumed with the required safety measures. Managing Director Basnet said, "We have made safety protocols for all. The domestic airlines operate in accordance with the integrated health standards and plans of the regulatory body. We have also given priority to the safety and convenience of the passengers."
Buddha Air normally handled up to 6,000 passengers daily. The company is operating domestic flights through 13 ships including 11 ATRs. Yeti Airlines, a leading private airline competitor, has said it is preparing all sorts of safe domestic flights. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the airline Manoj Rimal said that the company is in full readiness to make the employees and passengers safe.
Rimal, who recently took over as CEO of Yati Airlines and its sister company Tara Airlines, said the company's business plan would be made public once COVID-19 is free of infection. "We have been preparing the flight for two months, our safety department has made the protocol, we have adopted the health safety standards, so we urge the passengers to board the ship with confidence," said CEO Rimal.
The company has complied with health standards in all flight services at the airport. The practice has been flying two days a week. The company said that masks and face shields have been provided to measure the temperature of the passengers, use sanitizer, and maintain social distance.
It currently flies through 10 aircraft, including five ATRs and five jet streams. The company has flown 70 flights a day under normal conditions and estimates that the next flight will be 15 to 20 daily. Anil Manandhar, Institutional Manager of Shree Airlines, informed that the company is conducting practice flights by setting health standards for safe flight between Corona. The company has six ships, CRJ and Dash Eight, for domestic flights. Airlines including Saurya, Sita, Simrik, and Summit have also prepared safety protocols for domestic flights.
The airport had an average of 300 domestic flights daily. In domestic flights, 34 helicopters and 46 ships fly. Nineteen airlines, including 10 helicopters, have been flying inland.
The country's aviation sector is being revived almost five months after the shutdown. Domestic and international commercial flights were disrupted due to a nationwide ban imposed by the government to control the Covid-19 epidemic. There were no commercial flights for 120 days from March 22 to July 21 for the last time. However, there were international and domestic chartered flights during the shutdown.
According to the airport office, there are up to 16 international flights a day and 14 to 16 domestic flights a day at Tribhuvan International Airport. A significant number of international flights were flown daily to rescue stranded Nepalis abroad. More than 34,000 Nepalis have returned home on more than 200 chartered flights since June 5 to rescue stranded Nepalis abroad.
