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Kathmandu: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has issued a tender for the acquisition of three aircraft. The national flag-carrier has announced this tender to procure three planes intended for operating flights in remote regions.

NAC is in the midst of acquiring three Twin Otter planes for this specific purpose. It's worth noting that NAC is financing the purchase of these aircraft through its internal resources. As of now, NAC possesses just two Twin Otter aircraft for its domestic flight operations.

Kathmandu: Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the country's first international airport, is now operating at full capacity for the first time in its 73-year history.

According to the TIA office, Nepal’s busiest airport has experienced a significant increase in flight operations in recent days. Previously, the airport handled around 90 two-way flights daily, but that number has now risen to 110-114.

TIA’s General Manager, Pratab Babu Tiwari, reported that the airport has been serving 16,000-17,000 passengers daily since Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dashain, which commenced on Oct 15. On Oct 16, the airport witnessed a record-breaking 114 international flights, marking the highest number of daily operations in its history. The following day, this number remained high at 110 flights.

At present, TIA is reporting the highest number of flight operations in its history, thanks to the festive season and the beginning of the tourist season.

In terms of domestic service, there are 370 two-way flights operating daily to serve around 14,000 passengers.

As General Manager Tiwari mentioned, the airport is currently handling around 500 flights, both domestic and international, each day. There has been a significant increase in the number of daily flights recently, with the number of flights and passengers at an all-time high in the airport's history.

On Oct 18, the airport served over 15,000 domestic passengers. Flights of the national flag-carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation are in high demand, but they are struggling to meet the demand due to a limited number of aircraft. NAC Spokesperson Ramesh Poudel stated that NAC currently serves 16 destinations within the country through 22 flights, assisted by its two twin-otters, and flights to remote areas are limited.

Gyanendra Bhul, the information officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), mentioned that TIA has the capacity to handle 1,500 international passengers and 500 domestic passengers per hour, with an annual capacity of 9.2m passengers. In 2018, it served 7.2m passengers. After the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a gradual increase in the number of flights and passengers at TIA.

TIA, as the country’s first international airport, witnessed the first-ever arrival flight by the Beechcraft Bonanza, an American general aviation aircraft. The process of converting the then Gauchar Ground into an airstrip began in 1949. On 20 Feb 1950, a Dakota aircraft departed from TIA to Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, marking the airport’s first take-off flight, launched by Himalayan Aviation.

The airport was officially inaugurated in 1955 by the then King Mahendra and was named Tribhuvan International Airport in 1964. In 1967, the airport recorded its first arrival of a jet flight, a Boeing 707 from Lufthansa Airlines, and it began commercial flight operations in 1972.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1,800 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 115, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 113, 700 per tola on Thursday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 114, 950 per tola. It was traded at Rs 113, 150 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,400 per tola today. 

Karveer Budha, a resident of Rajutara in Junichande-7, Jajarkot, was hopeful of receiving rice from the government's depot for Dashain celebrations. But his hopes were dashed as officials informed the locals that the depot would not be able to distribute rice before the Dashain festival.

The disappointment is palpable among the locals who are now uncertain about how to secure rice for the Dashain festivities. Rice is already scarce in the local market, and if available, it comes at a high price compared to the subsidized rice distributed by government depots.

The Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) has been distributing subsidized rice in various remote areas of the country. However, residents like Karveer are dismayed as the state-owned food company has failed to supply rice to depots in different remote villages. “The Dashain festival is upon us, but we don’t have a grain of rice at home. The government’s depot has remained closed for three months. How can we celebrate in this situation?” lamented Ramkali Gharti of Rajutara.

 The shortage is not limited to the depot in Rajutara. Government depots in Tangachaur, Kauli, and Nayakbada of Barekot, Chaukha of Nalgad, Tapuchaur of Kushe, and Dashera and Pajaru of Chhedagad have all run out of stock. Locals who depend on these depots now face uncertainty about celebrating Dashain, all due to the FMTC’s failure to initiate the tendering process for rice supply on time.

The remote municipalities of Nalgad and Chhedegad, as well as Kushe and Junichande rural municipalities, are grappling with severe food grain shortages. With their summer crops not yet ready for harvest and the FMTC failing to supply food to its depots, residents are facing a challenging situation.

The FMTC has recently chosen bidders to supply food grains to its remote depots. “We selected the successful bidder 10 days ago, and our head office has given us 15 days to sign an agreement with them,” said Ram Prasad Poudel, the chief of FMTC Jajarkot Office. “We urged the company to commence rice transportation immediately, but they are refusing citing bad road conditions due to the monsoon.”

A recent meeting of the District Food Management Committee had requested the relevant authorities to ensure rice supply to government depots before the Dashain festival.

FMTC Jajarkot Office has appointed MB Builders of Jajarkot to transport rice to government depots in Chaukha, Tapuchaur, and Tangachaur. Similarly, Anjila Traders from Nepalgunj have been roped in to transport rice to depots in Pajaru, Dashera, Nayakbada, and Rajutara. According to Poudel of FMTC Jajarkot Office, they will supply 750 quintals to Chaukha, 1,000 quintals to Nayakbada, 500 quintals to Tapuchaur, 750 quintals to Tangachaur, 700 quintals to Rajutara, and 500 quintals each to Dashera and Pajaru.

While Pajaru and Dashera will receive their rice supply from Nepalganj, other depots will receive their supply from the district headquarters Khalanga. Locals prefer thick rice due to its affordability. However, the FMTC Jajarkot Office has only fine rice in stock which is being distributed in the district headquarters, Khalanga. The situation has left locals in a difficult position. As paddy is not cultivated in most remote areas of Jajarkot, locals rely on government depots for their rice supply. However, the FMTC consistently fails to transport rice to these depots on time due to inadequate preparation and an apparent lack of concern for the plight of people in remote areas.