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NAC to fly 3 times weekly to Meghauli
Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has announced it will be operating three weekly flights to Meghauli in Chitwan, prompted by swelling numbers of high-end visitors to the popular safari destination. The carrier currently operates charter flights to the jungle airstrip.Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has announced it will be operating three weekly flights to Meghauli in Chitwan, prompted by swelling numbers of high-end visitors to the popular safari destination. The carrier currently operates charter flights to the jungle airstrip.
The scheduled service will start on November 29 and operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The flight will depart from Kathmandu at 1 pm. The one-way fare for the 40-minute flight has been set at Rs3,165, the corporation said.
Meghauli Airport in Chitwan was brought back online in April last year under the initiative of CG Hotels and Resorts that owns the luxury Taj Safari Resort Meghauli Serai. The Meghauli Serai resort is managed by the internationally famed Taj Safaris of Taj Hotels and Resorts.
The landing strip had been carved out of the jungle in 1961 for the hunting trip of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.
Subsequently, the airport served adventure seekers visiting Tiger Tops until the government decided to remove all resorts and hotels inside Chitwan National Park.
The frequency of charter flights from Kathmandu to Meghauli is expected to rise significantly as Meghauli Serai is popular among high-end tourists.
Meanwhile, NAC has planned to resume services to Suketar Airport in Taplejung from November 29 with a single flight every Wednesday. The flight from Kathmandu to Suketar will depart at 7 am. The airfare has been fixed at Rs5,405 one way.
NAC suspended flights to Suketar Airport last year as the dirt runway was being upgraded. The airport, which now has a blacktopped runway, is the gateway to Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world.
One of the major attractions in Taplejung is the Pathibhara Devi Temple, which attracts a significant number of foreign and domestic tourists.
Meanwhile, NAC has started work to buy at least four Twin Otter aircraft in a bid to serve remote areas of the country. The state-owned corporation said that the management was studying the viability of adding the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, currently marketed as the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter, to its fleet.
The national flag carrier has recently added four Chinese-made aircraft to its fleet: two 17-seater Y12e and two 58-seater MA60. It has initiated the process to bring the two remaining Chinese aircraft of the six that were ordered.
Following the arrival of another two Y12e aircraft, NAC’s domestic fleet will
consist of nine planes, including three vintage Twin Otters. However, it has not been able to fly the Y12e aircraft to remote airfields due to regulatory limits.