The District Administration Offices (DAOs) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur have issued a 15-day prohibitory order to be followed by everyone. Despite the strict prohibition starting from Thursday, April 29, domestic flights will be allowed to continue regular operations.
Spokesperson at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Raj Kumar Chettri, said, “Domestic flights will go on following all safety protocols strictly. The airlines will have to inform passengers specifically about the safety protocols while purchasing tickets. And the time differences between two flights will be extended to avoid crowds at the airport as well.”
But since the government has announced the lockdown, there are a few problems that airlines could face. Chettri says that passengers will not have to stay in quarantine when they reach their destinations, however, the airlines will have to look into a number of other issues. He adds, “While the airline staff can come to the airport but what about the passengers? Will the airline provide vehicles for them as well?”
With domestic flights continuing, Sudarshan Bartaula, spokesperson of Yeti Airlines, says, “We are following all of the major safety protocols issued by the government. From disinfecting the aircraft to providing masks and visors to passenger, we check it everything.”
Dipendra Karna, Communication Manager at Buddha Air explains, “Our airline is focusing on the safety of our passengers as well as our staff. All of the staff had their vaccinations. While we maintain all safety protocols inside the plane, we have also been keeping contacts for contact tracing incase something serious takes place. But the government has not asked for the details yet. As for quarantine, we manage our staff for isolation but not the passengers.”
He adds from tomorrow April 28, the numbers of flights have increased but we may see vast difference from March 29 due to the lockdown.
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