Flights at PRIA Halted Again

Flight operations at the Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) have been disrupted for the second day this week after resuming briefly on Thursday. The resumed flights were halted again on Friday due to poor visibility, according to the airport officials.

Pramod Nepal, the information officer at PRIA, reported that while a flight from Kathmandu successfully arrived on Thursday night and returned on Friday morning, subsequent flights struggled. “Three aircraft that departed for Kathmandu this morning were unable to make the return trip to Pokhara,” Nepal explained. The aircraft included two from Buddha Air and one from Yeti Airlines.

The continuous disruptions, which began last Friday, have been a result of fluctuating visibility levels. “Despite the airport being fully operational on Thursday, we had to suspend operations again today,” Nepal stated. Visibility at the airport has been recorded between 1500 to 2000 meters, well below the minimum required 3700 meters for safe landings.

As of now, PRIA sees daily operations from major airlines including Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, and Shree Airlines, connecting Pokhara to Kathmandu, Jomsom, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Bharatpur, and the old Pokhara airport. However, the uncertain flight schedules have led to a decrease in passenger numbers, with many hesitant to book flights amidst the ongoing disruptions.

Officials are closely monitoring the situation and will update on the resumption of flights once visibility conditions improve.