JOMSOM: Regular flights on the Pokhara-Jomsom route have been suspended.

Private airlines operating on this route, Tara Air and Summit Air, announced that regular flights between Pokhara and Jomsom have been halted for approximately three months.

Deepak Pokharel, chief of the Jomsom Civil Aviation Office, informed that the private airlines suspended their regular operations due to the monsoon season, adverse weather conditions, and the tourist off-season, among other reasons.

Chief Pokharel noted that while the movement of tourists arriving in Mustang by road via Beni remains steady, flights had to be suspended due to a drop in the number of air passengers traveling between Pokhara and Jomsom.

According to him, Tara Air suspended its services on May 22, while Summit Air halted its flights starting June 2.

The Jomsom Civil Aviation Office stated that regular flight operations on the Pokhara-Jomsom route are temporarily suspended every year during the winter and monsoon seasons.

The small aircraft that usually operate on this route have been redirected to Simikot in Humla.

They were deployed there as Tibet’s Mansarovar pilgrimage route has been opened for Indian tourists.

Despite the suspension of regular commercial flights, emergency charter flights and helicopter services will continue uninterrupted, according to Jomsom Civil Aviation Chief Pokharel.

During the peak tourist season, Tara Air and Summit Air operate an average of 10 flights daily, bringing more than 150 tourists to Mustang from Pokhara by air.

Previously, during the winter season, Tara Air had suspended its regular operations from December 4 to March 1, while Summit Air had halted its flights from December 1 to February 1. (RSS)