Jomsom Airport will see no flights for 15 days

Baglung–Jomsom Airport in Mustang is to be closed for 15 days beginning from tomorrow, Saturday for runway improvement works.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Jomsom Office, the works to overlay the runway with asphalt are underway.

"The airport is vulnerable to wind and frequent weather change so we have decided to undertake the repair works by ceasing all the flights," said office Chief Bhanu Koirala.

Presently the airport has a three-centimeter thick pitched runway and black bituminous materials will be added to additional four centimeter. The runway was blacktopped 20 years ago last time.

The Apex Construction Company has been awarded the contract for upgrading the runway at a cost of Rs 90 million. Though the works had begun some four months ago, adverse weather accompanied by snowfall hampered the progress.

Company engineer Laldhwaj Lama gave assurance that all works will be completed by mid –July. Jomsom is based on the bank of Kaligandaki River and along with the runway improvement, works to develop infrastructure to control the river-caused erosion are underway.

Tara, Yeti, Summit and Nepal Airlines operate total 18 flights each day on Pokhara-Jomsom route. The airport remains busy mainly in April-May as more tourists visit Mustang this season. It lies on a 17-minute flight from touristic town Pokhara.