Kathmandu-Tikapur flight resumes after 27 years

Tikapur Airport in Kailali, which has been closed for regular operations since Feb 1997, officially resumed flight services on Sunday. The Tara Air flight YT 1701, carrying 16 passengers, landed at Tikapur Airport at 1:44 pm, marking the start of regular flights to the region.

The reopening of the airport has been made possible through the special efforts of Tikapur Municipality, with coordination between Tara Air and Yeti Airlines. Tikapur Airport first began operations on 11 Oct 1984.

According to Ram Lal Dagora Tharu, the Mayor of Tikapur Municipality, Yeti Airlines will operate flights from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, with connecting flights to Tikapur provided by Tara Air. The initiative also involves active participation from local tourism businesses and other stakeholders.

Regular flights will operate every Sunday and Thursday, following the Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Tikapur and Tikapur-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu routes. The municipality has signed an agreement with Tara Air to ensure a minimum of 15 seats per flight. Test flights have previously been conducted by Nepal Airlines and Tara Air.

The one-way fare for the Kathmandu-Tikapur flight has been set at Rs 9,000. Mayor Dagora Tharu expressed gratitude for the efforts of individuals and organizations, including Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey, and Minister of State Arun Kumar Chaudhary, who played key roles in reopening the airport.

Minister Arun Chaudhary reiterated his commitment to further improving Tikapur Airport, with plans to introduce direct flights from Kathmandu to Tikapur shortly. He also thanked all parties involved in the airport’s reopening.

With the resumption of services, residents from nearby areas, including Kailali, Surkhet, and Bardiya, who previously relied on flights from Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj, are expected to benefit from the renewed connectivity. Although the runway is gravel-based, plans are in place to upgrade it once regular flights begin.