Surkhet: Tara Air has suspended its regular flights from Surkhet to the districts of Mugu, Humla, and Jumla. The private airlines operator announced this decision citing financial losses incurred on each flight to these mountainous regions in Karnali.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the flights to these districts were inaugurated by Suresh Adhikari, the Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment of Karnali province, on December 4, 2024. The management of these flights was handled by Himali Travels and Tours in collaboration with Tara Air.
The travel and tour company reported a lack of support from the Karnali Province Government, which led to financial losses on each flight to these destinations. Min Bahadur Rawal of Himali Travels and Tours explained that despite an agreement to operate regular flights twice a week, the services had to be halted due to insufficient support.
In a related development, Yeti Airlines has completed a test flight from Surkhet to Kathmandu. Yeti Airlines also conducted a test flight to Dhangadhi on the same day. The test flights were successfully carried out by Yeti Airline’s 9N-AMN ATR-72 aircraft, as confirmed by airline spokesperson Sudarshan Bartaula.