main_image
NEWS
bottom
bottom

Domestic airfare to be dearer from Sunday

Domestic airfare will become dearer by as much as Rs 270 effective from Sunday.

The Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) on Wednesday raised fuel surcharge by Rs 80 to Rs 270 depending on routes, citing hike in aviation turbine fuel (ATF). Earlier, the association had raised fuel surcharge on August 15 citing the same reason.

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NOC) on Tuesday raised price of ATF by Rs 7 per liter to Rs 137 per liter. The government has allowed airlines to raise fuel surcharge if price of ATF is raised by more than Rs 4 per liter.

The hike in airfare means people planning to travel home for Dashain will have to increase their budget.

Rupesh Joshi, treasurer of AOAN, said the association has adjusted fuel surcharge in line with the price of ATF.

According to the new fares published by AOAN, normal fare for Simara will now cost Rs 2,880, up from Rs 2,800, while flights to Dhangadi will be dearer by Rs 270 to Rs 10,860. Similarly, passengers will have to pay Rs 9,625 for mountain flights.

Normal fare for Nepalgunj will increase to Rs 8,055 from Rs 7,850. Likewise, those traveling to Bhadrapur, Tumlingtar and Biratnagar will now have to pay Rs 7,400, Rs 4,980 and Rs 6,495, respectively.

Similarly, passengers flying to Pokhara, Janakpur and Bharatpur will need to pay Rs 4,670, Rs 3,960 and Rs 3,390, respectively.

Airline operators say the fresh hike in airfare will not benefit them as fuel is one of the largest operating expenses of airlines. Suman Pandey, general secretary of AOAN, said the rise in airfare is just an impact of the hike in ATF price.

source:republica,11 Sep 2013