Erratic weather forces Faplu airport's shutdown

Solukhumbu - The Faplu airport located at the Solukhumbu's district headquarters has remained out of operation for the past 13 days due to erratic weather pattern. 

The last flight to take off from the airport on June 27 was that of Nepal Airlines after which the airport has taken on a deserted look, according to Nepal Airlines' Faplu Acting Station In – charge, Ganesh Shrestha. 

The airport's shutdown has been attributed to perennial presence of thick fog and regular bouts of heavy downpours. The runway was recently blacktopped which has spared the problem emanating from ruts of muddy slush. Now it is solely the cause of adverse weather conditions that has forced the airport out of service. 

A demand for tickets to board the flights to the capital city from voters who arrived in their district for the elections has grown excessively, but these travellers are at the receiving end due to the obstruction in the flights, Shrestha said. 

The flights in the district's Lukla airport have also been affected. The airport sees some flights in the morning, but is not able to meet the demand, Tara Air's Lukla In – charge, Phinuru Sherpa shared. 

According to Sherpa, despite the schedule of five to six flights per day, only one or two flights are able to take off in the opportunities provided by the erratic high altitude weather. 

The district has four airports, but the airports in Kangeldanda and Syangboche have remained out of operation for a long time. 

The travellers are also unable to find tickets for jeep heading to the capital city from Salleri. Earlier, the fare for boarding a Salleri – Kathmandu jeep had been Rs 1200, but now it has spiked to Rs 1800, said Shiva Khadka, a traveller.