February 9: Flights to and from Patan airport in Baitadi have remained shut for the past ten months. Costly air fare and lack of passengers have halted the flight along the Dhangadhi-Baitadi-Dhangadhi air route for months.

The airport was brought into operation by spending Rs 110 million for its blacktopping. Unfortunately, flight remained closed for months.

 Summit Air was conducting a single flight to and from Patan airport every Thursday.  The last time the flight was conducted from the airport was on 24 March, 2022. 

Summit Air’s representative Krishna Datta Bhatta says that chances of resuming flight are still uncertain. Eighteen minutes’ flight from Patan to Dhangadhi costs Rs 5,000 per person. 

Local Chaman Bhandari shared that closure of the air service has made it difficult for the emergency patients to reach to the well-facilitated hospital and employees to get to their workplace. 

Patan airport is the second largest in Sudurpaschim Province. The airport was brought into operation in 2077 after a long hiatus of 26 years. Patan airport that came into operation in 2036 for the first time was closed till 2051.