Federal Budget Plans Adventure Flights at Closed Baitadi Airport

Dhangadhi — The federal government has announced plans to collaborate with the private sector to conduct adventure flights at the closed Baitadi Airport.

The upcoming financial year's budget includes provisions for paragliding, skydiving, parachuting, ultralight flights, and other recreational and adventure activities. The closure of Patan Airport in Baitadi has caused significant inconvenience to locals.

The airport, which facilitated a quick 17-minute flight between Patan and Dhangadhi, saw its last commercial flight on Chait 10, 2078, by Summit Air. Since then, the airport has remained inactive, leaving structures worth around 16 crores unused.

Patan Airport was briefly reopened in October 2077 after being closed since 2051, with a test flight that included then-Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai. However, regular flights ceased within a year, and the airport has been inactive since March 2078.

The runway is now often used by local youths for recreational activities, such as making TikTok videos. During its brief operational period from October 2077 to March 2078, the airport only facilitated 15-16 flights.

The Civil Aviation Authority reports that the government spent 162.2 million rupees for the second reopening of the airport, highlighting the need for sustainable solutions to utilize the airport's infrastructure effectively. The introduction of adventure flights aims to revitalize the area and make use of the existing facilities.