KOLKATA: Nepalese private carrier Buddha Air expects to get the clearance from Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) next week and the nod from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by September-end to start daily flight operations between Kolkata and Kathmandu from the first week of October.
Buddha Air officials told TOI that the airline will operate a 48-seater ATR 42 plane and hopes to do brisk business given that currently only Air India flies three-four times a week between Kolkata and Kathmandu. "We expect the BCAS approval to come in a week and the DGCA nod within a month," said an official.
Under the revised Air Service Agreement between Nepal and India, Buddha Air has been designated by the Nepal government to operate flights to Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna. While the airline hopes to start flights between Kathmandu and Lucknow in November, Patna will take a while.
The airline official said tickets would be priced Rs 3,500-4,000. "Once there is competition, fares should tumble. Moreover, daily flights will be convenient for tourists and we can start marketing destinations in the Himalayan country again," said Travel Agents Federation of India chairman (east) Anil Punjabi.
