Shortage of Twin Otters hits flight service to remote districts

Kathmandu, Aug. 22

Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Pandey said that a shortage of Twin Otter aircraft flying to the Himalayan and hilly districts is causing disruptions to regular air services.

Speaking at a discussion programme at the Surkhet Airport on Friday regarding the operation of flights to various districts in Karnali, Minister Pandey highlighted this issue.

Responding to questions raised during the discussion, Minister Pandey clarified that the shortage of Twin Otter aircraft has made it difficult to expand services to remote districts. He said, "We will reach a conclusion on whether operations from Surkhet as a base are feasible only after conducting technical discussions with the concerned agencies."

Minister Pandey said that to address the current shortage of Twin Otter aircraft, the ministry has proposed purchasing seven Twin Otters—one for each of the seven provinces. Expressing confidence that new aircraft would be procured transparently and services would b expanded in cooperation with the private sector, Minister Pandey said, "The issue cannot be resolved with just the two Twin Otters currently available to Nepal Airlines. We must add new aircraft with a long-term vision."

Highlighting that although the country has 53 airports, only a limited number of aircraft are currently operating, Minister Pandey said, "Nepal has 53 airports, but the number of Twin Otter aircraft is decreasing. If this continues, life will become even more difficult for the people in remote areas. Except for Humla and Lukla, most other airports have become almost inactive."

A delegation led by Karnali Province Chief Minister, Yam Lal Kandel, had drawn the attention of the federal government to the irregularity of flights operating from Surkhet as a base.

Participants in the discussion stated that air services are vital in the hilly districts of the province, where road networks have only recently been established and geographical challenges remain considerable. Chief Minister Kandel expressed that the provincial government is prepared to cooperate and urged the development of a clear action plan. He emphasised the significance of fulfilling commitments made at the time of obtaining permissions and proposed establishing Surkhet Airport as a ‘Twin Otter hub’.

A representative from Sita Airlines indicated that the absence of sufficient passengers hampers the operation of regular flights. He clarified that while some flights are currently conducted from Surkhet, they are only feasible when adequate demand exists from areas such as Jumla and Simikot.

He called for the provision of special subsidies to facilitate flights to remote districts.

Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, Pradeep Adhikari, stated that there is potential to develop Surkhet Airport into a regional hub. He noted that regular flights to various remote districts could be operated from Surkhet in collaboration with Nepal Airlines and other private entities.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 August 2025.