SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, FEB 05 -
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has intensified efforts to acquire land to upgrade Janakpur airport into a regional international airport, a ministry official said.
The ministry plans to complete land acquisition and construction of a new terminal by 2011. The government has allocated Rs 30 million to acquire 16 bighas of land to extend the airport. It is expected to come online as a regional international airport by 2012.
Janakpur, capital of the ancient kingdom of Mithila and birthplace of Sita, heroine of the Ramayana, is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. Tourism Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari said that the project to develop Janakpur airport into a regional international airport had been given priority considering the prospects of attracting large numbers of Hindu pilgrims.
Another reason behind developing Janakpur as a regional international airport is the recently signed air agreement between Nepal and India which allows cross-border flights from Janakpur. Development of Janakpur as an international airport could also ease congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) as migrant workers from the eastern Tarai could fly out from there. More than 3,000 passengers pass through TIA per hour, which was designed to handle 1,300 passengers.
The government has moved to develop Janakpur, Pokhara and Bhairahawa airports as TIA was being overstretched. “Domestic passenger movement is also increasing at a rapid pace, and developing regional international airports could boost private air operators,” said Bhandari.
Land acquisition for Bhairahawa airport has been completed. The ministry said that the government had allocated Rs 280 million for compensation to land owners. “Bhairahawa could be a hub for Buddhist pilgrims,” Bhandari said.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Domestic airfares to go up 13-49 pc
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, FEB 05 -
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has proposed a hike in domestic airfares of 13 to 49 percent. The new tariff is subject to approval of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA).
Mountain flights will be dearer by more than Rs 1,500 (28 percent) while long-haul routes like the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi sector will go up by Rs 1,476. Airfares for remote areas will go up by as much as 49 percent.
MoTCA will review the proposed airfares before approving them. A MoTCA source said that the ministry would not be making any big changes in the proposed tariff. In line with the request made by the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) and the provision that airfares should be reviewed every two years, MoTCA had assigned CAAN to study the technical aspects of the proposed fare hike three month ago. The last airfare review was made on Feb. 17, 2006.
“A review of the fare schedule is being done, and it will most likely be approved after the ministry gets its new minister,” said MoTCA secretary Kishore Thapa. CAAN had formed an airfare review committee three months ago under the coordination of deputy director general Binod Gautam. CAAN has proposed a hike in airfares in line with inflation and other major components in the last five years.
Under Nepal Rastra Bank’s inflation rate, the other major components for an airfare review include direct fixed cost (aircraft lease cost, insurance, crew training, salary and allowances), direct variable cost (fuel, maintenance, landing, parking and navigation) and indirect operating cost (administration, agency commissions and overheads). The AOAN had asked for an airfare review citing heavy lease tax, landing charge, parking charge, navigation charge, housing charge and other taxes. The airfare review will not incorporate a fuel surcharge. The government allows airlines to increase the surcharge only if the price of aviation fuel increases by at least Rs 4 per litre.
On Dec 26, domestic airlines had increased the fuel surcharge by Rs 60 to Rs 80 as per the hike in the price of aviation turbine fuel. Nepal Oil Corporation had increased the price of aviation fuel by Rs 5 per litre to Rs 80 on Dec. 6. The AOAN had increased the surcharge by Rs 60 to Rs 180 in February 2010 too.
Proposed Airfare by CAAN (excluding fuel surcharge)
Tourism Sector existing (in Rs) proposed (in Rs) up (in %)
Kathmandu-Mountain 4,616 7,172 28
Kathmandu-Lukla 2,355 3,227 17
Kathmandu-Bharatpur 1,635 2,241 13
Kathmandu-Pokhara 2,420 3,317 16
Kathmandu-Jomsom 3,402 4,662 16
Long-Haul
Kathmandu-Biratnagar 4,273 5,020 17
Kathmandu-Janakpur 2,352 2,689 14
Kathmandu-Bhairahawa 3,680 4,303 17
Kathmandu-Dhangadhi 7,758 9,234 19
Kathmandu-Nepalgunj 5,742 6,813 19
Kathmandu-Bhadrapur 5,309 6,275 18
Kathmandu-Surkhet 6,465 7,530 16
Remote Sector
Biratnagar-Bhojpur 1,329 1,972 48
Biratnagar-Tumlingtar 1,507 2,241 49
Biratnagar-Lamidanda 1,635 2,421 48
Biratnagar-Rumjatar 1,812 2,689 48
Biratnagar-Phaplu 2,117 3,138 48
Nepalgunj-Dolpa 2,304 3,407 48
Nepalgunj-Bajhang 2,541 3,765 48
Nepalgunj-Bajura 2,363 3,496 48
Nepalgunj-Simikot 3,151 4,662 48
Nepalgunj-Jumla 2,363 3,496 48
KATHMANDU, FEB 05 -
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has proposed a hike in domestic airfares of 13 to 49 percent. The new tariff is subject to approval of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA).
Mountain flights will be dearer by more than Rs 1,500 (28 percent) while long-haul routes like the Kathmandu-Dhangadhi sector will go up by Rs 1,476. Airfares for remote areas will go up by as much as 49 percent.
MoTCA will review the proposed airfares before approving them. A MoTCA source said that the ministry would not be making any big changes in the proposed tariff. In line with the request made by the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) and the provision that airfares should be reviewed every two years, MoTCA had assigned CAAN to study the technical aspects of the proposed fare hike three month ago. The last airfare review was made on Feb. 17, 2006.
“A review of the fare schedule is being done, and it will most likely be approved after the ministry gets its new minister,” said MoTCA secretary Kishore Thapa. CAAN had formed an airfare review committee three months ago under the coordination of deputy director general Binod Gautam. CAAN has proposed a hike in airfares in line with inflation and other major components in the last five years.
Under Nepal Rastra Bank’s inflation rate, the other major components for an airfare review include direct fixed cost (aircraft lease cost, insurance, crew training, salary and allowances), direct variable cost (fuel, maintenance, landing, parking and navigation) and indirect operating cost (administration, agency commissions and overheads). The AOAN had asked for an airfare review citing heavy lease tax, landing charge, parking charge, navigation charge, housing charge and other taxes. The airfare review will not incorporate a fuel surcharge. The government allows airlines to increase the surcharge only if the price of aviation fuel increases by at least Rs 4 per litre.
On Dec 26, domestic airlines had increased the fuel surcharge by Rs 60 to Rs 80 as per the hike in the price of aviation turbine fuel. Nepal Oil Corporation had increased the price of aviation fuel by Rs 5 per litre to Rs 80 on Dec. 6. The AOAN had increased the surcharge by Rs 60 to Rs 180 in February 2010 too.
Proposed Airfare by CAAN (excluding fuel surcharge)
Tourism Sector existing (in Rs) proposed (in Rs) up (in %)
Kathmandu-Mountain 4,616 7,172 28
Kathmandu-Lukla 2,355 3,227 17
Kathmandu-Bharatpur 1,635 2,241 13
Kathmandu-Pokhara 2,420 3,317 16
Kathmandu-Jomsom 3,402 4,662 16
Long-Haul
Kathmandu-Biratnagar 4,273 5,020 17
Kathmandu-Janakpur 2,352 2,689 14
Kathmandu-Bhairahawa 3,680 4,303 17
Kathmandu-Dhangadhi 7,758 9,234 19
Kathmandu-Nepalgunj 5,742 6,813 19
Kathmandu-Bhadrapur 5,309 6,275 18
Kathmandu-Surkhet 6,465 7,530 16
Remote Sector
Biratnagar-Bhojpur 1,329 1,972 48
Biratnagar-Tumlingtar 1,507 2,241 49
Biratnagar-Lamidanda 1,635 2,421 48
Biratnagar-Rumjatar 1,812 2,689 48
Biratnagar-Phaplu 2,117 3,138 48
Nepalgunj-Dolpa 2,304 3,407 48
Nepalgunj-Bajhang 2,541 3,765 48
Nepalgunj-Bajura 2,363 3,496 48
Nepalgunj-Simikot 3,151 4,662 48
Nepalgunj-Jumla 2,363 3,496 48
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