Improve airports before NTY 2011: MoTCA

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) of Nepal has proposed the government to improve Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA), Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa, Janakpur and Pokhara airports in the present year.

Mr. Birendra Singh, Director of MoTCA said, “Thenceforth the country is commemorating 2011 as Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY-2011), we have to improve some of the airports, where there is an overrun of tourist traffic.”
He said, “Improving of these airports can also support airlines to fly to nearby cities over the border, it would support accomplish the goal of one-million tourists in 2011.”

He added, “If the government simplifies the airlines to fly in the country by improving the airports and out of the country with appropriate Air Service Agreements (ASA), the state’s NTY-2011 crusade could be prosperous.”

MoTCA said, “In accordance to the recent two-sided ASA signed between Kathmandu and New Delhi, the previous seats per week has been extended to one-way 30,000 seats per week connecting New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore, with the recent contract in place, air seats have raised by five times and this will surely promote Indian tourist arrival.”

MoTCA added, “In the spirit of the SAARC Charter, Nepal has got the privilege to operate air services with indefinite seats to 21points in India — Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bhubaneswar, Kalikot, Cochin, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Jaipur, Khajuraho, Lucknow, Patna, Port Blair, Thiruananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Banaras, Visakhapatnam and three more points Bagdogra, Deharadun and Gorakhpur.”

Nepal also gets the privilege to function any of the destinations in the SAARC region from these points with limitless seat by the designated airlines.

Previously, Nepal used to function air services to seven points in India but presently it is extended to 27 points.

In accordance to MoTCA, it will surely support in the arrival of Indian tourist flow.