May 19: Jazeera Airways, a leading airline company of Kuwait, has pledged to promote Bhairahawa as a tourism destination. The airliner is the first international company to start flight service to Bhairahawa-based Gautam Buddha International Airport since May 16 on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti festival.

Vice president for sales of Jazeera Airways Ravindran Bharathan said that the flight service has been initiated due to high demand for direct flights to the Terai plains of Nepal.

 “Jazeera Airways continues to expand its network to offer destinations that also cater to large expatriate communities that are often not served by direct routes from Kuwait and the Middle East. It now really makes it a lot easier for Nepalese and tourists to get into the Terai area of Nepal rather than going through an indirect route which could take up to more than a day of traveling,” he said, adding, “The new service to the Gautam Buddha International Airport is a direct service to the gateway of Lumbini - the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.”

Rabi Chandra Singh, chairman of the Society International Travel Services, a part of the RR Group of companies, stated, “After 74 years of international flights based only in Kathmandu, this service is going to make a huge difference in the western part of Nepal. This newly opened international flight service will help boost tourism in Bhairahawa which is one of the potential sectors for economic development in Nepal. Let's rejoice in this historic moment together.”

The airlines company informed that it will operate three flights a week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.