April 17: Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) is scheduled to conduct direct flights from Kathmandu to Riyadh of Saudi Arabia from April 22 to the respite of Nepali migrant workers.

The cost of air travel is expected to become affordable for the aspiring Nepali workers with the operation of flights by the national flag carrier to Saudi Arabia, one of the major labour destination countries of Nepal.

With the operation of flights, Nepali workers will have to pay Rs 37,000 for a one-way ticket to Riyad. Passengers have been paying more than Rs 63,000 at present to travel to nearby Doha via private airliner in economy class with discount.

According to the Executive Chairperson of Nepal Airlines Yubraj Adhikari, the state-owned airlines company will be exploring additional destinations and would expand its services gradually. NAC has already received flight permits to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.    
NAC will operate two flights a week between Kathmandu and Riyadh and the number of flights will be expanded to three times a week after studying the situation, NAC said.

NAC officials including Executive Chairperson Adhikari had visited Saudi Arabia two months ago to seek flight permission.    
For the time being, the one-way ticket for Kathmandu-Riyad flight will cost Rs 37,000, confirmed NA Spokesperson Archana Khadka.

The inaugural flight would be conducted by a wide-body aircraft of NAC which plans to operate both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft for the flights later on.