Chitwan, September 15
Shree Airlines is set to begin Kathmandu-Bharatpur flights ahead of the upcoming Dashain festival. The airline has nearly completed the process of obtaining approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to operate the route.
The airline conducted a successful test flight on the Kathmandu-Bharatpur route in June and is now preparing to launch commercial services, according to Anil Manandhar, the airline’s manager. “We are in the final stages of the approval process and hope to begin flights before Dashain,” Manandhar said.
Buddha Air currently operates flights on this route with a 42-seater aircraft, charging around NPR 4,700 for a one-way ticket. Although the flight takes only 20 minutes, passengers have often faced high fares. With Shree Airlines planning to operate an 80-seater aircraft, both ticket prices and service convenience are expected to improve.
Shree Airlines’ successful test flight with the larger aircraft has also sparked interest from other airlines. Meanwhile, Buddha Air has tested a 72-seater aircraft on the same route following Shree’s trial.
Bharatpur Airport, with its 1,200-meter runway, has been undergoing expansion plans, but the presence of buildings and structures east of the runway has raised safety concerns. Efforts to remove these obstacles have so far been unsuccessful, despite repeated requests from local authorities. Night flights will remain restricted until further upgrades to the airport infrastructure are completed.
A new terminal building is under construction at Bharatpur Airport, and there are plans to extend the runway to 1,600 meters by utilizing land from a nearby Nepal Army horse breeding centre.