AIR SERVICES IN NEPAL

  Nepal is a landlocked and mountainous country. Air services are very important here. Air services play the prime role in the field of tourism in Nepal. Development of the country is also based on air facilities in Nepal.

            The first airlines in Nepal is R.N.A.C. which stands for Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation. It was established on July 1, 1958. Since then, it has been providing air services regularly. Nowadays, there are many other private airlines working in Nepal. They were established after the implementation of multiparty democracy in 2046 B.S. All the airlines are providing air facilities. R.N.A.C. has its both national and international flights; but all the private airlines have only domestic flights. They are only profit making airlines; but R.N.A.C. prefers providing services to profit making.

            Airlines have been playing important roles to carry goods and people from one place to another quickly and easily. Many remote regions are connected with towns by airlines. These regions totally depend on air services to supply daily needs, textbooks, medicines and so on. Most of the tourist sectors are situated in remote regions. Tourists want to visit these places. They go thereby planes or helicopters. If we provide adequate air facilities to the tourists, tourism will be promoted. Tourism is one of the main sectors to earn foreign currency. Air services have also made Nepal known to most of the parts of the world. Similarly, air services have strengthened national unity by bringing different parts of the country together. They also help us in reducing the problem of unemployment. Many youths have been employed in airlines and other offices belonging to tourism. Because of the abovementioned contributions of the air services, they are of great significance in Nepal.

            Despite the facilities and contributions of airlines, the poor of Nepal cannot get benefit from these services. The fare of planes and helicopters is really expensive. The poor cannot afford them. The government should give priority to provide air facilities to all the people of the remote areas which depend on air facilities.