September 13: Domestic airline companies of Nepal say that they are facing problems in arranging flight schedules due to the difficulty in availing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for commercial flights. They said that the problems have surfaced as aviation fuel is not easily available in most of the airports outside Kathmandu.

The Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has drawn the attention of the government to this problem. The association has also requested the government to facilitate in supplying ATF to the airports in remote areas.

Issuing a statement on Monday, the AOAN said it has urged the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to avail aviation fuel in airports outside Kathmandu.

The association said that a situation has arisen where they can no longer operate commercial flights due to unavailability of fuel.

The statement issued by AOAN says that they are facing scarcity of fuel when the festive season is just around the corner. The association further said that the passengers have been affected due to the unavailability of flights just ahead of the festivals when the airline companies were planning to provide reliable and safe flights during the festive season.

“In such a situation, the CAAN has been urged to avail aviation turbine fuel in airports outside Kathmandu as soon as possible,” reads the statement.

Dhangadhi-based depot of Nepal Oil Corporation had recently warned that there might be problems in supply of aviation fuel due to the protest launched by transport companies on September 2. The Dhangadhi depot has urged the NOC to avail fuel to the airline companies from Sinamangal-based depot until the situation normalizes.

The demand for fuel is high during the festive season. The transport companies have started their protest demanding a hike in transportation fare taking advantage of this situation.