MUSTANG:- Private airline companies have suspended flights on the Pokhara–Jomsom route for a couple of months due to a sharp decline in the number of tourists visiting Mustang during the winter season.
Summit Airlines and Tara Air decided to halt services citing adverse weather conditions, the risk of snowfall, and a drop in tourist arrivals during the off-season, according to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Jomsom Office Chief Deepak Pokharel. Both airlines normally operate regular flights on the route.
However, chartered and emergency helicopter services are continuing.
Tara Airlines’ Mustang station in-charge, Suchan Lalchan, said that Pokhara–Jomsom flights have been suspended from December 4 to March 4. Summit Airlines stated that its services have remained closed for the past two months.
Strong winter winds in Mustang significantly affect flight operations. In addition, improved travel convenience along the Beni–Jomsom–Korala roadway has led to a further decline in air passengers.