SANGAM

Buddha Air to link Lucknow in March

SANGAM PRASAIN

KATHMANDU, NOV 09 - Buddha Air, a leading domestic airline, is all set to enter the Indian skies. The carrier is preparing to fly to Lucknow by the first week of March 2010. It would be starting its international operations from Pokhara.

"Our target is to start by the first week of March if not by the first week of April," said Birendra Basnet, managing director of Buddha Air.

Buddha will be the fifth Nepali private airline to start international operations and the third to start air services to India. The airline has already registered an application at the Ministry of Tourism to this effect.

Buddha's move has come after the new air service agreement between Nepal and India that was signed in the second week of September. The new agreement, apart from allowing each other's airlines to carry up to 30,000 passengers weekly, has permitted airlines of both countries to operate cross-border flights from regional airports including Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi in Nepal and Varanasi, Patna, Gaya and Lucknow in India. Buddha will be the first domestic airline to utilise the new agreement.

Initially, it will be offering Pokhara-Lucknow flights and will add flights to New Delhi and Dehradun later on. It will be using its current fleet of ATR-42 for the Lucknow flight.

But for that, it has to get approval from the government to use turboprops like the ATR-42 to fly on international routes. As of now, Nepali aviation laws don't allow aircraft with turboprop engines to fly on international routes.

Basnet, who thinks Pokhara can be developed into first tourist destination, is targeting pilgrim tourists.

"Pokhara is a complete tourist destination and is the gateway to the Annapurnas and the Muktinath pilgrimage," said Basnet. "It would be easier for Indian tourists to visit Muktinath by the Pokhara-Lucknow direct flight." Buddha is planning to fix the fare at Rs. 16,000 for the Lucknow-Pokhara-Kathmandu flight. The low operation cost is another reason for choosing Pokhara.

"The reason for choosing Pokhara for our India operation is to reduce the airfare," said Basnet. Pokhara airport has a comparatively lower airport charges including landing charge.