Buddha Air starts night flight services to Bhadrapur

 Kathmandu, Jan. 30:

Buddha Air has started night flight services to and from Bhadrapur,  in Jhapa district in eastern Nepal.

With the installation of RNAV (Area Navigation) systems at the Bhadrapur Airport, night flights have been possible.

"It is through RNAV that flights can be done even under low visibility and there was even installation of runway lights at the Bhadrapur Airport. This allows night flights to be operated safely as well," said the company.

This technology has been adopted worldwide for safe air operations. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has recently installed the technology.

Buddha Air said that due to the absence of RNAV, the airlines had to cancel or delay flights to Bhadrapur due to low visibility and flights could not be operated after sunset which led to a huge burden on travellers and financial burden on the airlines operators. 

Bhadrapur is the gateway to eastern Nepal and districts like Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung. Moreover, Bhadrapur also connects the cities in India like Siliguri, Darjeeling, Sikkim and even to Bhutan and Bangladesh as well. 

"The CAAN's team also helped in successfully implementing infrastructures for RNAV and runway light installation at the  Dhangadhi Airport a few months ago. This allowed airline operators to conduct safe night flights to the Dhangadhi Airport as well," said the company.

It expressed hope that the CANN will expand infrastructure to other airports in Tumlingtar, Surkhet and Bharatpur as well. 

 In coming months, the Janakpur Airport will be equipped with RNAV technology.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 31 January 2019.