Nepal to resume domestic, international flights with coronavirus restrictions

Kathmandu : Nepal has decided to resume both domestic and international flights with coronavirus restriction in place.

According to the new guidelines issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, domestic flights will be allowed to operate with 50% seat occupancy to help contain the possible spread of Covid-19, while international flights will be operated as per the safety protocol developed earlier by the government. 

"We will hold consultation with the stakeholders and prepare the number of flights each airline company can operate in consultation with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. It will be finalized very soon and a meeting has been called for Wednesday," Rajan Pokhrel, director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) told ANI over the phone.

The government has also allowed operation of international flights from Kathmandu to limited locations.

Amid new guidelines, Nepal Airlines and Qatar Airways will be allowed to operate two flights each a week in the Kathmandu-Doha sector.

Similarly, the government has decided to allow four flights a week in the Kathmandu-Doha sector, Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur sector, two flights a week in the Kathmandu-Istanbul sector, Kathmandu-Dammam and Kathmandu-Kuwait sectors. 

Among other sectors, the government has allowed operating one flight a week in Kathmandu-Muscat, Kathmandu- Seoul, Kathmandu-Japan, Kathmandu-Chengdu and Kathmandu-Guangzhou sectors.

Nepal had banned all domestic flights on May 3 and all international flights on May 6, except for two weekly flights on the Kathmandu-Delhi sector.