After a months-long suspension, Nepal Airlines is set to operate four weekly flights on the Phaplu-Kathmandu route. Phaplu Airport is located in Salleri—the administrative headquarters of Solukhumbu district.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the flights will be conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Flights were completely halted on the route from mid-December 2024 to mid-April 2025 after the aircraft, which was operating one weekly flight, was grounded, said Tenzing Sherpa, the station chief of Nepal Airlines in Phaplu.
The resumption was made possible following the repair and maintenance of the aircraft, added Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, a senior official from CAAN’s Phaplu office.
Local residents and business owners have welcomed the return of air service, which had been a critical link for the remote region. Mahesh Adhikari, a businessman based in Salleri, remarked, “With the resumption of regular flights, we’re no longer forced to rely on the disaster-prone BP Highway to reach Kathmandu. However, consistency and reliability of the flights are still crucial.”
The long disruption had created serious challenges for locals, especially for emergency medical travel, business logistics, and tourism activities.
Karma Sherpa, Senior Vice President of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), noted the positive impact on tourism: “Tourism operators are thrilled. The return of flights will significantly ease travel for both trekkers and operators in the Everest region.”
RSS
