Thu, 15 October 2026
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Thu, 15 October 2026
By Hari Krishna Aidi, Mugu, Oct. 15: Passengers travelling to the Himalayan district of Mugu have been stranded in Nepalgunj as regular flights have not been operating ahead of the Dashain festival. Aircraft that usually serve Himalayan destinations have been diverted elsewhere to carry tourists, leaving passengers bound for Mugu in difficulty.
As the number of people returning home to celebrate the festival increases, the lack of regular flights has prevented many from reaching their destinations on time. For residents of Mugu, a district which lacks convenient road access, air services are the main means of transport. However, irregular flights have caused considerable hardship for travellers.
Keshav Rawal of Chhayanath Rara Municipality-6 said passengers faced additional difficulties due to the lack of regular flights as the number of people returning home for Dashain rose. According to him, the irregular service has made it difficult for passengers to reach home on time.
Durga Laxmi Rawal, founder of Durga Female Trek Nepal Pvt. Ltd., said two foreign nationals who had visited Mugu were also forced to return to Kathmandu last Monday because of irregular flights.
She said the unreliable air service had directly affected the tourism industry. “The absence of tourists has not only caused losses to my company but has also affected hotel operators in Mugu and employment opportunities for local people,” she said.
She suggested political leaders and the local administration take initiatives to ensure regular flights. Passengers have urged the concerned authorities to ensure regular air services to Himalayan districts during the festive season.
According to Bhuwan Thapa, Chief of the Rara Civil Aviation Office at Talcha, the flight schedule allocates Sundays and Thursdays to Nepal Airlines, Mondays and Tuesdays to Summit Air, Wednesdays and Thursdays to Sita Air, and Fridays and Saturdays to Tara Air for operations at Talcha Airport.
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