Adverse Weather Delays Resumption of Pokhara-Jomsom Flights

The resumption of Pokhara-Jomsom flights, scheduled to restart after a three-month winter hiatus, has been delayed due to persistent adverse weather conditions.

The air service to the mountainous district of Mustang was suspended during the winter season because of unfavorable weather and the tourism off-season. Private carriers had planned to recommence flights from Monday, March 9.

However, the Jomsom Civil Aviation Office has confirmed that no flights have been able to operate since Monday. While Tara Air had scheduled flights for Monday, and both Tara Air and Summit Air had schedules for Tuesday, poor weather conditions prevented any takeoffs.

Tara Air had previously announced the suspension of its Pokhara-Jomsom flights from December 4 to March 1. Similarly, Summit Air had decided to halt services from December 1 to February 1. The resumption this week was delayed slightly beyond these planned dates, partly due to the elections held on March 5.

Deepak Pokharel, Chief of the Jomsom Civil Aviation Office, confirmed that while all preparations were made to resume the service from Monday, the Twin Otter aircraft from the private airlines were unable to operate due to the bad weather. He stated that flights would become regular once weather conditions improve.

The winter suspension of flights between Pokhara and Jomsom is an annual practice, as private carriers typically halt services during the peak cold months of Poush and Magh (mid-December to mid-February) and resume in Falgun (mid-February to mid-March) with the arrival of spring and the tourist season.

This year, the tourist influx was also affected by the recent elections. However, with the polls now concluded, airlines are beginning to see bookings increase. According to Suman Lalchan, Tara Air's Station In-charge in Jomsom, passengers have started booking tickets, raising expectations for a rise in air travelers.

The route is vital for Mustang, which annually receives around 150,000 foreign tourists, approximately 70 percent of whom are Indian pilgrims visiting the revered Muktinath temple. However, the number of air passengers has been gradually declining in recent years. This is attributed to the improving condition of the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road, part of a national pride project, which is leading more Indian tourists to choose the road route for their pilgrimage.

At its peak, private airlines used to operate up to 18 daily flights to Mustang. Currently, the number hovers below 10 per day, with only Tara Air and Summit Air serving the route. While Nepal Airlines Corporation still maintains a ticket office in Jomsom, it has not operated flights on the sector for a long time. -- RSS