No Progress on additional air routes despite Indian promises

Kathmandu, September 12 — Government of Nepal (GoN) has once again requested India to open additional flight routes. Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Badri Prasad Pandey made this appeal to the Indian government at the second Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation held in India.

Due to the lack of additional routes for the international airports in Lumbini and Pokhara, international flights have been disrupted. Currently, neither airport can operate international flights.

Minister Pandey urged Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Manohar Naidu Kinjarapu on Thursday to provide more flight routes. According to the Nepali Embassy in India, Pandey requested additional routes for direct flights from India to various cities in Nepal.

Earlier, during a meeting with India's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and while addressing the conference, Pandey had proposed direct flights between Pokhara and Lumbini international airports and Indian cities.

While Indian ministers have shown a positive response to the idea of direct flights and additional routes for cities like Lumbini and Pokhara, officials from the Nepali Embassy indicate that Nepal needs to take the initiative. An embassy official noted, "India's positive response alone is not enough; Nepal must also show interest and make repeated efforts. Nepal appears to be weak in this regard."

During his visit to India on May 31, 2023, then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' also discussed the issue of flight routes. India had expressed readiness to provide additional routes. After returning from the visit, Prime Minister Prachanda confirmed India's willingness to grant more routes.

However, no further diplomatic action has been taken from Nepal's side, and the agenda remains unchanged. Minister Pandey has prioritized this issue during his visit to India, but it remains to be seen how much progress will be made and when results will be evident.

The Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa is close to the international border, which makes it possible for flights to reach the Indian airspace depending on weather conditions. Former Prime Minister Prachanda had informed journalists about India's commitment to address this issue.

The topic of flight routes is raised in every high-level visit between Nepal and India, and India has consistently committed to providing routes. Yet, no significant improvement has been observed.

Regarding the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Bhairahawa, a joint technical team from both countries was to meet and make recommendations, but no discussions have taken place yet.

In January 2023, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar discussed flight routes during his visit to Nepal and requested suggestions from the Ministry of Tourism, which was subsequently responded to. However, there has been no response from India so far.

According to an official from the Ministry of Tourism, suggestions for routes including Mahendranagar and border proximity flights were sent over six months ago, but no response has been received.

In 2014, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Nepal, an agreement on flight routes was reached, with both countries' officials directed to finalize it within six months. Despite this, a decade has passed with no progress.

Each high-level visit between Nepal and India raises the issue of flight routes. While India has committed to providing routes, the situation remains unchanged.

Experts suggest that India may be unwilling to provide a flight entry point for Bhairahawa due to its military barracks in Gorakhpur, which falls within the airspace. They state that the Indian Army, responsible for border security, must grant permission for flights in this area.

"If India does not provide additional routes, the international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa will not benefit significantly. Currently, Indian authorities allow Nepali airlines to enter through Simara. Without new routes, flights to Pokhara and Bhairahawa must use this route, making air travel more expensive," said a Tourism Ministry official.

While most international flights enter Nepal through Simara, flights from Bhutan and Lhasa also enter through eastern entry points. Experts suggest that while the Simara route is suitable for entering Kathmandu, using it for flights to Bhairahawa and Pokhara makes the journey longer and more costly.