Chitwan. Shree Airlines Kathmandu-Bharatpur test flight has been successful. The flight took off from Kathmandu to Bharatpur this morning. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane and Tourism Minister Hit Bahadur Tamang along with technicians from Kathmandu landed successfully at Bharatpur Airport which has a short runway, said Sudhir Mital, Managing Director of Shree Airlines. According to him, there were no problems during the flight test. The airport is dangerous because of the houses built on the east side of the airport and the structures built on top of those houses.
Shree Airlines is preparing to start regular flights after getting permission from the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority. Mital, managing director of Shree said that it will take some time to complete the permission process. Currently, only 42-seater aircraft of Buddha Air is flying between Kathmandu Bharatpur and Pokhara Bharatpur.
A few years ago, Yeti Airlines aircraft used to come to Bharatpur, but now the flights have been stopped. After the 80-seat aircraft of Shree Airlines starts arriving in Bharatpur, Managing Director Mital said that there is a plan to reduce the fare. A new terminal building of Bharatpur Airport is being built. The work of airport expansion is also progressing.
Home Minister Lamichhane, Tourism Minister Tamang and Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality Chief Renu Dahal have also inspected the under construction terminal building.
Bharatpur Metropolitan Chief Dahal said that with the successful trial of the 80-seater ship, a dream of the metropolitan residents has come true. Tourism Minister Tamang said that the runway expansion work will start within a year. Home Minister Lamichhane said that he would support the airport expansion as much as possible.
Even if an 80-seater ship will arrive in Bharatpur, night flights cannot be carried out without expanding the airport. The goal is to expand the airport and make a runway of 1600 meters on the land of the horse breeding center of the Nepali Army, which is located west of the airport.