Regular flights between Phaplu Airport in Salleri, the district headquarters of Solukhumbu, and Kathmandu have resumed, with services now operating four days a week. Nepal Airlines has restarted flights every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, according to the Civil Aviation Authority office in Phaplu. The service had been suspended for several months due to technical issues with the aircraft.
Senior Officer of the Civil Aviation Authority Phaplu, Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, confirmed that flights resumed after the aircraft underwent necessary repairs. Previously, the route was limited to just one flight per week, which was eventually grounded, halting operations entirely.
Phaplu Airport
According to Tenji Sherpa, Station Chief of Nepal Airlines in Phaplu, flight services on this route were completely shut down from mid-December to mid-March. Local businessman Mahesh Adhikari expressed relief over the resumed flights, saying, “With regular flights operating again, we are no longer forced to endure the difficult journey along the BP Highway to reach Kathmandu. However, the service must remain consistent and reliable, not just temporarily.”
The suspension of air services in the past had caused significant difficulties for residents, including interruptions in travel, trade, emergency healthcare, and other essential activities. The revival of flights has brought renewed hope to tourism entrepreneurs in the region. Karma Sherpa, Senior Vice President of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), shared that the resumption of flights has uplifted the local tourism sector in this popular trekking district.
